


Harry Potter: Master of Death

by Cellindaer



Series: Who Am I? [2]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-24
Updated: 2019-12-24
Packaged: 2021-02-26 07:28:31
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 25
Words: 154,534
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21929725
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cellindaer/pseuds/Cellindaer
Summary: Five years after the Malfoy Insurrection, Harry finds himself living a life he hardly recognizes. He is happy, surrounded daily by those he loves. However, even with the Death Eater threat finished, there remains those in the world that would see it crashing down. A strange murder sends him on a new path, one that leads back to the past of Albus Dumbledore and his forgotten demons.
Relationships: Hermione Granger/Harry Potter
Series: Who Am I? [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1445914
Comments: 6
Kudos: 32





	1. Chapter 1

**June 30, 2005**

"Professor!"

Even at the end of his fifth year as a full time educator, the term still was no less familiar to Harry. In fact, it was a running joke among some of the students that calling Professor Potter by any other name would have been an easier way to get his attention.

Turning around, Harry saw a fourth year Hufflepuff approaching him.

"Mr. March, what can I do for you?" Harry asked formally.

"Are the rumors true, Professor?" young Christopher March asked softly. "Is McGonagall stepping down?"

"That is _Headmaster_ McGonagall." Harry said firmly. "As for whether or not she intends to return to Hogwarts, I am not at liberty to discuss that at this time."

Instantly, the look on the young Hufflepuff's face lit up. He turned and sprinted down the hall, screaming _"Professor Potter is Headmaster!"_ Harry smirked shortly at the exuberance of the young man.

Despite the best efforts of the Hogwarts staff, secrets remained impossible to keep within Hogwarts. Within the last week, Minerva had informed the staff of her decision to step down as Headmaster at the end of term. At this point, it was a merely technicality that Harry would be appointed to the post. Whether it was staff, students or the portraits on the walls, the information seemed to be making the rounds.

Harry entered the Great Hall to the murmured hellos of his students. During his time at Hogwarts, Harry hadn't disappointed anyone as a professor. He found that teaching suited his less violent nature and allowed him to train the next generation of Aurors. However, his students had been surprised to learn just how challenging Professor Potter would have been. The knowledge that Harry Potter had not been a particularly good student had been passed around and most students had assumed that Professor Potter would be an easy OWL.

They were quite wrong. While he was no Severus Snape, Harry's demeanor as a Professor was much closer to Minerva McGonagall than Filius Flitwick. Part of it was the subject matter that Harry taught. The rest of it was Harry's desire to fill the ranks of the Aurors with the best students. That meant that only the most devoted of students was eligible to take NEWT level Defense under Harry.

However, Harry was still well known as a great supporter of his students. He gave points to each house's students appropriately, rarely favored one student over another and attended every Quidditch match, regardless of the houses playing.

Harry sat on Minerva's right, a place he had taken over in the three years prior when he officially became Deputy Headmaster. He had been acting in the role since the beginning of his Hogwarts tenure but both Harry and Minerva felt that it was too soon to appoint him.

They only wanted Harry's presence felt when it looked as though she was going to turn the reigns over to him.

"What are you smiling about?" Minerva asked shrewdly.

"I'm laughing because Hogwarts never seems to change. Secrets are just as impossible to keep as ever."

"Who was it today?"

"Christopher March." Harry replied as he took his seat. "Almost didn't even bother waiting for confirmation before he was sprinting down the halls, telling his classmates."

"You told him?"

"I did not." Harry replied. "However, I did not lie to him either much like I told you when you informed me of your plan last week."

"I wish you would have."

"I will not start off my tenure as Headmaster with half the student body thinking I've been lying to them the last month of term."

"I suppose." Minerva replied softly before noticing that Goyle, the replacement for the recently deceased Argus Filch, had closed the Great Hall doors. "It's showtime."

"It seems so." Harry smirked as Minerva stood in her place.

For a moment, Minerva collected herself as she scanned the room. As she began to spoke, Harry noticed for the first time just how heavily she leaned on her cane. It was obviously holding up much of her weight and Harry had to wonder if it hadn't been magically enchanted to aid her.

"Thank you all, once again, for another wonderful year at Hogwarts!" Minerva said joyfully, her eyes tracking around the room. "Before you all board the Hogwarts Express, there are of course several end of the year announcements. Exam results, including the OWL and NEWT, will be sent home at the beginning of July. For incoming sixth year students, please note which OWLs you have earned as that will affect your schedule, which you should receive at the beginning of August. Once again, Mr. Goyle's office will be open for the rest of the evening so that he may return all of his confiscated objects."

Harry smirked at that comment. Last year, two days after the end of term, Goyle had been spotted in the Entrance Hall, playing with some new WWW product that he has confiscated from a second year Hufflepuff. Needless to say, the conversation that Harry had witnessed between him and Minerva had been less than pleasant.

"Finally, I do believe it is time to address the elephant in the room." Minerva said softly, her tone almost sad. "It is true that after nearly fifty years at Hogwarts, I am resigning my position as Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Magic. It has been a long time coming and I am sad that my time here is rapidly coming to an end." Minerva stopped for a moment, tears welling in her eyes. Finally, she gripped her cane and looked up from the floor.

"However, I have held off my retirement so that I could ensure that best for this school. There is no former student of mine that I would trust more with this school that has become my life than Professor Potter." Minerva said, her gaze turning to meet Harry's. "Regardless of your views on Harry's youthful exploits, I believe that Mr. Potter is the best chance for Hogwarts to move forward. You will treat him with the same respect that you have all treated me."

Finally, Minerva reached down and grabbed Harry's hand, pulling him to his feet.

"Headmaster, I believe you wanted to say a few words."

The fact that Minerva had publicly referred to him as Headmaster did not go unnoticed by Harry. Neither did the fact that when Harry stood, he was able to see someone very familiar in the back of the Great Hall, smiling and applauding along with the rest of the students.

Having this moment alongside friends like Neville and Luna was great but having Hermione there meant the world.

"Thank you." Harry said softly before clearing his throat to speak up a bit. "I don't want to hold up any more of the festivities. Suffice it to say, that I am honored to take this position, following such great examples as Minerva McGonagall and Albus Dumbledore. I look forward to the next school year and hope that you all have a wonderful summer holiday."

With that, Harry took his seat to a smattering of polite applause. With a smirk, Minerva waved her hands and like it had for centuries, the food once again appeared on the plates in front of them. Quickly, Harry excused himself from the dinner and made his way to the back of the room where Hermione stood.

"I didn't know that you were going to be here." Harry said with a smile as he kissed her politely. A more personal greeting would have to wait until they were out of the sight of children.

"I couldn't miss you being named Headmaster." Hermione grinned. "So, I managed to convince Amos that he didn't need me for an hour and slipped away."

"I'm amazed that you were able to wrangle a half hour out of him."

"I asked for an hour. He countered with ten minutes. We... _compromised_ at thirty minutes."

Amos Diggory was the Minister of Magic. One year after Draco Malfoy's attempted coup of the Ministry, Kingsley Shacklebolt resigned as Minister. While most of the wizarding fought for him to change his mind, he refused.

He believed that the Minister of Magic needed to be elected, not appointed; something that never happened for him. He had done great work in his two years as Minister but after that time, he felt that it was his time to move on.

For the first true election in the history of British magical politics, dozens of candidates emerged, Ministry and non-Ministry alike. In the end, however, there were only three true candidates and one noticeable absence.

The first person to declare his candidacy was Percy Weasley. Despite the fact that he was moving with his wife to Spain, he believed that it was his duty as Kingsley's Senior Undersecretary to run. Ultimately, it was believed that the distance created by Penelope living in Spain meant that he spent considerably less time on the campaign than the other candidates.

The second true contender to come forward was Tiberius Ogden. Ogden had long been a fixture of the Wizengamot, sitting on the court for nearly thirty years. He was one of the most respected lawmakers in the country and considered to be the frontrunner by most.

However, that was until the dark horse candidate, Amos Diggory, entered the picture. Having worked in the Ministry for just as long as Ogden, he was initially considered to be a flash in the pan. But, when he was able to point to a number of policy decisions that he had been essential in making as a Department Head while Ogden had none, the tide began to change. After that, Diggory vigorously went after Percy, labeling him as nothing more than a retread of Kingsley, an unelected official. That fact, which Percy could never seem to shake, coupled with the years of experience that Amos had on Percy led to a nearly runaway win.

But throughout the entire three month election season, one question remained above all else: Where is Hermione Granger? The Junior Undersecretary to the Minister was considered to be the most popular candidate by a landslide. In fact, there were rumors that had Hermione entered the race, the other candidates would have bowed out rather than attempt to run against her.

Still, she refused to run. Publicly, she maintained that she felt that she had more work to do as a lawmaker before she began working in administration. Privately, she struggled with the thought of someone like Amos winning, someone she barely respected as a Ministry official and someone she had gone toe-to-toe with several times over the years.

In the end, Amos Diggory won by a wide margin. The next day, Hermione received an owl asking her to be the next Head of Magical Law Enforcement. It would mean becoming the second most powerful person in the Ministry and the person most responsible for new lawmaking.

She had thought about it carefully….for about thirty seconds before sending an affirmative reply.

However, it had meant being directly responsible to a man that was less than respectful to her. This was mostly due to her rather public relationship with Harry Potter who he still blamed for his son's death.

Needless to say, their working relationship was contentious at best.

"Well, that's better than most days, I suppose." Harry mused.

"Yes." Hermione said shortly before grabbing Harry by the arm and pulling him out of the room. "There was another incident."

"Another?" Harry growled. "Where?"

"Essex." Hermione replied breathlessly. "Two witches, one wizard: shot in the head with a pistol."

"That's the third one in less than a year."

"Yes. But this was different, Harry. These people had wards around their home."

"Were they tampered with?" Harry asked.

"They were gone."

Over the last two years, the number of incidents between Muggles and magical people had slowly begun to rise. With the ever improving of technology in the Muggle world, the Ministry was working overtime at covering up their presence to the Muggles. Already, the British Prime Minister had authorized several "black sites" where satellite and drone surveillance wasn't allowed.

It just happened that those sites lined up with Hogwarts, Hogsmeade, Diagon Alley and several all magical towns across Britain.

"You're saying that you believe that someone magical perpetrated this?"

"Or that they're helping Muggles."

"To what end?" Harry asked the empty space around them.

"We're not certain. There are a number of groups across the world that the Ministry has been keeping our eyes on."

"Why these groups in particular?"

"Because these are all groups that favor abolishing or circumventing the Statute of Secrecy?"

"They want to reveal magic to the Muggle world?" Harry asked in shock. "Do they realize what that will do? Sure, maybe in fifty years we would make it work but there would a world war the likes of which no one has seen if that happens."

The look that Hermione gave Harry was frightening.

"Maybe that's their goal." Hermione whispered intensely. "These people don't care about blood. They care about power and the fact that they believe they have to hide it."

The thought that there was someone out there working on destabilizing the enter planet by exposing the magical world to the Muggle one terrified Harry. Everything that he had worked for his entire life, the battles against Voldemort and Malfoy, the work they had done on balancing blood relations among the magical population: all of it would be undone.

"Why are you telling me this now?" Harry asked. "You've never told me this quickly before. In fact, the other two times, I found out from the Daily Prophet."

"Because of Diggory's reaction." Hermione growled lightly. "He's meeting with the Prime Minister right now. Regardless of the evidence to the contrary, he still believes that Muggles are at the heart of this. He thinks that some Muggles have figured out a way to blackmail or trick a magical person into helping him."

"That's insane."

"Just slightly." Hermione said with a sarcastic grimace. "Anyway, he's going to authorize the Aurors to start investigating those groups I mentioned."

"That's not too bad."

"He's also given ordered me to authorize the Aurors to bring in potential Muggle suspects."

"That does seem much worse." Harry admitted. "Which Muggles is he thinking would do this?"

"Among the Muggles, there are a small portion that believe Magic exist. Most of them are crazy, seeing magic in pieces of bread or lines in the desert. But, there are some who likely have some sort of magical ancestry. They're likely Squibs born to Muggle parents and they can see our world. To the rest of the world, they seem like crackpots but the Ministry has always been very wary of these particular people. If the Muggles would someday start listening to them, we could be in trouble."

"But wouldn't bringing in these people just make the rest of the group louder?"

"Exactly." Hermione said roughly. "And we can't just treat them like this. They're Muggles, not criminals. We can't just start randomly pulling them off the street."

"Does this mean you're reconsidering your stance?"

The next election for Minister of Magic was coming up. Unlike the last time, there were only four candidates currently running. Tiberius Ogden was running as was Amos. The third was a relative unknown by the name of Samantha Lyman, the assistant Head of the Department of Magical Education.

The fourth was Hermione herself. When she entered the race, she had made the personal decision not to publicly condemn any of the other candidates for a few reasons. Firstly, if she lost, she wanted to keep being able to work within the Ministry. Secondly, and more importantly, she felt that being above the fray would give her an advantage of looking cleaner than the others.

So far, that strategy hadn't been working. While Hermione wasn't in last place (that honored belonged to Tiberius Ogden), she didn't seem to be faring all that well. Meanwhile, both Lyman and Diggory were getting much of the positive press after the previous debates, leading to the Daily Prophet referring to it as a two person race.

In the last four years, Hermione's work record hadn't been spotless. Some thought that was the reason why she was falling behind against Diggory and Lyman. Others thought it was her inability to be tough on the other candidates. Personally, Harry fell into the latter camp.

"I'm thinking about it." Hermione replied. "But I can't use this information. The debate is tomorrow and the public won't know about this for at least forty-eight hours."

"Unless someone slipped it to them…"

"No!" Hermione scolded him. "Absolutely not!"

"I didn't mean me!"

"No one!" Hermione roared. "If I win under the thought of being the clean candidate and then it was discovered that I had leaked information to the press to win a debate, that would be the end. I wouldn't lose my job but I would be dead in the water!"

"Fine, fine." Harry muttered, mostly to himself. "It was just an idea."

"I know." Hermione said as she placed a gentle hand on his cheek. "I appreciate it. Go back to your feast."

"I will." Harry said gently. As Hermione went to walk away, Harry grabbed her hand and turned her back towards him and kissed her fiercely. "You never did tell me why you told me this."

"Because I was thinking this was a job for Dumbledore's Army."

"I thought the DA was forcibly retired by the Ministry."

"That may need to change."

"Let me rephrase, I thought that _you_ forcibly retired Dumbledore's Army."

"Yes, I did." Hermione admitted. "Publicly, I retired the DA."

"And privately?"

Harry watched as a multitude of different emotions reflected passed Hermione's face. She had been responsible for ending Dumbledore's Army. At the time, it had seemed like a good idea; even Harry had agreed with her.

But now?

"Maybe the world could use Dumbledore's Army again?"


	2. Chapter 2

After the feast, Harry remained behind until curfew began at nine. Once that was in effect, he met briefly with Minerva and then made his way home.

Home was now a small flat in Hogsmeade that he shared with Hermione. As Deputy Headmaster, Harry was required to spend at least four nights a week within the castle. On the rest of the nights, he returned home and spent what was left of his evening with Hermione. Thankfully, his duties allowed him to return home for the entirety of the weekends and it was then that he was able to spend the most time with his best friend.

For nearly four years, Harry and Hermione had lived together, happy with their relationship at its present state. But in recent weeks, Harry had become restless.

Not with Hermione, it should be noted, but with the lack of forward progress between the two of them. As Harry neared his mid-twenties, he felt profoundly stuck, somewhere in between the bachelor life some of his friends still lived and the married life of the rest of his friends. Most people associated Harry and Hermione with each other constantly, to the point that it was often assumed that an invitation for one was also an invitation for the other.

Harry loved that personally. The fact that his best friend was also the person that he loved was astonishing to him. For years, Harry had convinced himself that he was unworthy of anyone's love, especially someone as good as Hermione. Now, he lived with the one person who he felt truly understood him, someone who was an outsider like him.

As Harry entered his building, he couldn't help but smile. For the first time in his life, he had found a true home. Hogwarts had always felt like home but Harry had always been aware that it was more of a surrogate home than anything else. But as Harry reached his front door, he couldn't help but think once again that he was truly home.

Opening the front door, Harry was greeted by a welcome sight: Hermione seated in her chair in the corner, reading something for work. For a moment, Harry simply stopped in the doorway, drinking in the sight of her. Eventually, Hermione noticed Harry standing there and smirked at him.

"What are you staring at?"

"Oh, me? Nothing." Harry grinned.

"That's what I thought." Hermione said as she returned to her work.

The flat that the pair of them wasn't huge and that was intentional. Between the two of them, they probably spent a total of fifty hours a week there. It was as home as it got for the two of them but it was ultimately a stopping point for the two of them, a place where they could stop to collect their thoughts and spend some time together. It was not altogether uncommon for each to bring work home and work side by side, never speaking a word to each other but still enjoying the presence of the other.

The apartment was small but lit brightly with some assorted chairs, all a variant of green (a small joke on Hermione's part), littered around the apartment. There were also bookshelves everywhere. It was obvious to anyone which books belonged to which person. For the research that Harry was constantly required to do for his job, he had acquired a collection of books that nearly rivaled Hermione's. However, the lack of organization quickly gave away that those books belonged to him. Meanwhile, the meticulously organized collection of books on the far wall clearly belonged to Hermione.

"So." Harry said simply as he took a seat in a chair that was facing Hermione's.

"So?" Hermione replied, never looking up from her work.

"Were you serious about bringing Dumbledore's Army back?" Harry asked softly.

"Of course. Why wouldn't I be?" Hermione asked, finally looking up at him.

Almost exactly one year after Malfoy's coup attempt, Harry had been called in for questioning by the Wizengamot. Among their chief concerns moving forward was the knowledge that Dumbledore's Army existed. For the group to exist as a study group among children seeking to learn more was one thing; however, a group of adults who were working together outside of the Ministry as a "paramilitary" organization, that was another thing entirely. For nearly two weeks, he had given testimony on the actions of Dumbledore's Army. He had talked about the Department of Mysteries, the Battle of the Astronomy Tower, The Battle of Hogwarts and the Malfoy Insurrection for nearly two weeks.

Even the details of his strike force, personally authorized by then-Minister of Magic Kingsley Shacklebolt, were brought into the hearing, authorized by new Minister Amos Diggory.

In the end, Harry was asked to turn over the list of members belonging to Dumbledore's Army. The original idea was that the group be available to become deputized by the Ministry should there be a shortage of available Aurors.

Harry refused.

When ordered by the Wizengamot to reveal the names, Hermione and Ron both refused as well, although for different reasons. Due to their absence from Hogwarts during their seventh year, Ron stated that he didn't have an accurate accounting of the members and that they would need to ask Harry and Hermione for that list.

On the other hand, Hermione stated one very important fact. When she had originally created the list, anyone that had betrayed the DA would have been found out, much like Marietta Edgecombe had been during their fifth year. After that, she had altered the enchantment.

Now, no one could speak about the DA without Harry's permission.

Once again, the Wizengamot ordered Harry to reveal the names of Dumbledore's Army.

Again, he refused. This time, the Wizengamot ordered Harry's arrest for obstruction of Ministry business. Thankfully, Hermione was able to work her magic, securing a deal between Harry and the Ministry. In exchange for not receiving the names of the members of Dumbledore's Army, Harry would have to agree to permanently shut down the DA.

Despite the frustration he felt, Harry was aware at the time that it was likely to be the best deal he was going to get.

So, he took the deal. Under Hermione's supervision, he closed down Grimmauld Place, the new headquarters of Dumbledore's Army, and instructed the members of Dumbledore's Army to destroy their galleons.

The next time Harry saw Neville, Neville flipped him a galleon.

Specifically, he flipped him an enchanted galleon meant for a member of Dumbledore's Army. As Harry had gone about destroying Dumbledore's Army, Ron had been sending messages to each member of the DA personally, encouraging them to ignore Harry's command. He told them that the Ministry had forced Harry to close down the DA and that for the sake of Harry, they would lay low.

But, according to Ron, the DA was important. It was necessary. It was a force devoted solely to the pursuit of goodness and justice, something that even Hermione would not profess the Ministry believed in.

"'Mione, you watched me close up Grimmauld Place and you encouraged me to send that message." Harry replied firmly. "I know that you didn't support the idea but how could you suggest that the DA needs to come back?"

"Because I don't trust Amos." Hermione said plainly. "I can't guarantee that I will win this election, Harry. If I don't, this situation will likely be left in Diggory's hands and I don't believe that he can handle it."

"I thought you believed in the Ministry."

"I do." Hermione confirmed. "But I don't have confidence in this Minister. Ultimately, it will be up to him how we approach this."

"Him? You think Diggory will win again?"

"He's leading now and he's got years of experience on his opponents, including three years already as Minister. I'm not saying that it's a done deal, Harry, but I think we need to be prepared for Diggory to win."

"Being prepared means activating the DA again and disobeying a directive from the Wizengamot?" Harry asked sternly. "You know me, 'Mione. I will do what I think is right, rules be damned. If I have to go to Azkaban because I did the right thing, I will."

"Are you saying that I won't?" Hermione growled slightly.

"I'm not. But I am saying that you have aspirations, Hermione. Maybe you won't win this year, maybe you will but someday, you want to be Minister of Magic. You were talking about slipping information to the press as being a deal breaker earlier tonight."

"And it would be."

"If it was ever discovered that you told me that you thought bringing the DA back from the dead was a good idea, you'd be removed from office the next day. The public doesn't want some paramilitary organization running around London, especially one run by a worn-out defense professor."

"You're not worn-out, Harry!"

"I know I'm not." Harry chuckled. "But it's just amazing some of the articles that the Daily Prophet prints these days."

As he said this, he picked up the paper laying on the table in front of him. The headline read: **"MCGONAGALL TABS POTTER AS NEXT HEADMASTER."**

"There's going to be a new Headmaster, of course that's news."

"Yes, but the way it reads, the Battle of Hogwarts was fought a century ago between Lord Whatsheisname and Harold Pointer."

"Are you sure that's how it reads?" Hermione asked as she finally put her papers down. "Or is that just how you feel about it?"

"Probably a bit of both." Harry replied honestly. "You have to admit that the honeymoon period after Voldemort is over."

"I do." Hermione agreed. "But that was to be expected. It's been over seven years, Harry, and time eventually moves on. The last thing the public really saw you do was five years ago and even then, the battle between you and Malfoy was private."

"I understand why the Prophet writes the way it does, Hermione. To a certain group of people, I'm the Man Who Lived. But there is finally a generation that will see me related more closely to Hogwarts than to Voldemort. That is both a good thing and bad."

"Why? I thought you always wanted to escape the shadow that Riddle left on your life."

"I do. However, that doesn't mean that I am any less interested in ensuring that someone like Tom Riddle doesn't surface again. When I was closely connected to Riddle, authorizing a tactical strike force against remaining Death Eaters was both a sound move tactically and politically. Now, with me being so closely related to the school, the same move would be seen as me grasping for the limelight, an aging hero looking for one more battle to face."

"That's not true."

"I know it's not true." Harry smiled. "I know it and you know it. But you know who wouldn't know it? The people who read the Daily Prophet. Most of them have never seen me, let alone taken a second to speak to me."

Suddenly, Hermione stood and made her way to Harry's chair where she collapsed onto the arm of it, her head collapsing into Harry's lap with her legs draped over the side of the chair. Looking down, Harry couldn't help but smile at the most beautiful woman in the world.

"They're missing out."

"Speaking has never really been my forte."

"That's what you think." Hermione smirked. "I have a catalog of inspirational speeches in my head that would suggest otherwise."

"I was improvising."

"You're making my point for me, Potter."

Gently, Harry leaned down and placed a gentle kiss on Hermione's lips.

"I'll concede the point for now." Harry replied with a grin before it faded slightly. "I'm going to wait on activating the DA."

"It's probably a good idea."

"I thought so too." Harry said before leaning down to kiss Hermione once more. This time, the conversation never managed to continue as Hermione picked herself up and straddled Harry on the chair.

Needless to say, Harry was preoccupied for the rest of the evening.

* * *

A day had passed since the announcement of Harry's promotion. Thankfully, something else had popped up that would steal the news cycle away from him: the last public forum among the four leading candidates for Minister of Magic.

A tradition had been started during the previous election: the current Minister hosts the final public forum between the candidates for the next Minister. So, while the other two forums had been held at neutral locations, this one was being held in the Atrium with crowds filling the stands that had been brought in.

Unlike the last time they had done this, however, the Minister himself wasn't a neutral party. It was very clear that Amos wanted to win and was doing everything he could. In fact, before the event even began, Harry could see the Minister standing in the far corner of the room, speaking with the evening's moderator, Arnold Peasegood.

But for the moment, Harry wasn't concerned with Amos. Instead, he concerned himself with his incredibly nervous girlfriend who stood just a few feet away, working through the last of her speaking points with her election team. Daphne Greengrass had been Hermione's first choice for a campaign operator and Daphne had quickly accepted. In fact, if Hermione won, she was likely to select Daphne as her Senior Undersecretary.

The other two members of Hermione's team, leaving Harry out, were new to them. The first was Hermione's primary speechwriter and policy consultant, an aging man named Russell Appleby. He was a relatively quiet gentleman who had been a member of the Wizengamot legal team for years. Appleby had long been considered one of the top legal minds in the country but his underwhelming public demeanor coupled with his desire to remain out of the limelight meant that he had remained stuck in his position for the last fourteen years.

The second was an Auror, a strange choice for most but as it was the Auror office that Hermione was mostly closely linked publicly, it only made sense for one of her closest advisors to be an Auror as well. Kathryn Downey was not just an Auror however. She was the head of the Auror Office and one of the most decorated Aurors of her time. Having been trained personally by both Alastor Moody and Kingsley Shacklebolt, the word legend was often thrown around when considering her legacy within the Ministry. In fact, there had been many who had wished that she had run for the office of Minister of Magic herself. Instead, she had endorsed Hermione and joined her campaign as an official consultant on international affairs.

The three of them, plus Harry, made up the small cabal that ran the entirety of Hermione's campaign. In comparison, Amos' overwhelming desire to win meant that he had at least twenty staffers working on his campaign around the clock. Thankfully, the difference between Muggle and magical politics were immense and simply blanket media coverage meant very little to magical folk.

"Are you ready?" Harry asked Hermione as he broke into their huddle.

"She was ready three days ago." Kathryn replied harshly. "What kind of question is that?"

"An important one." Harry countered before looking at Hermione, whose face was finally regaining some of its color. "Are you ready?"

Part of the reason that Hermione wasn't maintaining her popularity was her poor public speaking performances. Even with her nearly impenetrable public service record, the fact that Hermione was a relatively poor public speaker meant that she didn't seem to be picking up the same kind of momentum that Amos and Samantha Lyman were.

It wasn't that Hermione was a bad speaker, far from it. Instead, Hermione's largest problem was that her intelligence made her challenging to relate to for some members of the public who found her extensive vocabulary to be more confusing than enlightening.

"I'm ready." Hermione replied stoically, not meeting the eyes of anyone around her.

"Hermione-"

Finally, her eyes, focused and determined, met Harry's.

"I'm ready."

"Good." Harry grinned before leaning in to kiss her on the cheek. "Go get 'em."

"I'll do my best."

"I wouldn't expect anything different."

An hour later, the event was nearly finished. So far, there had been no real winner of the evening. Diggory had been very good about avoiding mention of his rather public feud with Hermione. Lyman had answered a number of questions about her relative lack of public exposure, especially when compared to the other three candidates.

The only person that was very clearly out of the race was Tiberius Ogden. Peasegood had asked a series of questions related to Ogden's time in the Wizengamot under Cornelius Fudge. The obvious implication was that Ogden had been one of Fudge's stooges. Unfortunately for Ogden, his answers to the claims had been weak and rather poorly worded.

The last set of questions from Peasegood would be directed towards Hermione.

"Miss Granger, during your time as Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, crime among the magical population has decreased rapidly. To what do you attribute this change?"

Immediately, Harry watched Hermione straighten up, ready to hit such an easy question with ease.

"Mr. Peasegood, the changes can be boiled down to one large point: the crime rate has dropped because we have been able to permanently eliminate the Death Eater threat. In the seven years since the Battle of Hogwarts, we've seen a complete destruction of Tom Riddle's former compatriots. In fact, in the last seven months, there has been not a single Death Eater related incident, the longest such stretch since Riddle's resurgence during The Triwizard Tournament."

Peasegood looked at Hermione with a gentle smile before turning to the paper next to him with a grim look. Suddenly, Harry had a very acute concern for what his next question was going to be.

"And it has nothing to do with the inquiry related to former Head of the Auror Office, Morgan Herbst."

Instantly, Harry's gaze shifted to Hermione, who did not appear shocked that the question had been asked. However, the fact that this was being brought up was certainly not good for Hermione's increasingly low chances of getting elected.

"I'm not sure how that would affect our crime rates." Hermione replied coldly.

"Really? Under your watch, Herbst was found guilty of soliciting bribes to peddlers of Dark materials. In less than one year, Herbst took nearly three million Galleons to ensure that Aurors were never sent to investigate these black market merchants. Now, am I correct that you personally promoted Herbst to his position?"

"Yes." Hermione answered.

"And that his promotion occurred within one week of you taking over as Department Head?"

"Yes."

"And that you were against removing him from his position?"

The moment the words left Peasegood's mouth, the crowd gathered began to murmur incessantly. Hermione Granger had always been the cleanest of politicians. Almost any attack against her was secretly one against Harry or Kingsley, the two men that she was most commonly associated with.

But for the first time, Harry was going to have to watch idly as Hermione dealt with an attack on her own moral standing.

"How did you know that?" was Hermione's first question. Harry cringed internally. It wasn't a great first question for an accused person to ask.

"In the name of transparency, the Ministry gave me limited access to all files within the Departments that the four of you were associated. Now, can you please explain, Ms. Granger, why you were against removing Morgan Herbst from his post after learning of his transgressions?"

Harry was one of the people that knew the actual reasons. Morgan Herbst had long been one of the Auror Office's secret keepers. For nearly thirty years, he had been a ghost, barely acknowledged by the public record. In the early eighties, he had spent nearly four years undercover with a group of magical militants in Portugal, investigating their organization and their role in a potential attack on Muggles in the late seventies.

Then, five years earlier, he had decided he had enough. Still, Herbst wasn't someone who was going to sit back and relax. So, he had moved into the administration department in the Office. When Hermione had been made Department Head, the previous Head Auror had resigned in protest of working for someone so much younger than he.

Herbst had no such protest and so Hermione had quickly tabbed him to replace the previous Head. Unfortunately for everyone involved, Herbst's old habits hadn't faded away. Rather than delegating tasks to other Aurors, Herbst would frequently disappear for two or three days, only to return with his targets in tow.

The three million Galleons he had accepted as a bribe? It had been money given to him by merchants who were being threatened by a new presence in Knockturn Alley. They had willingly given Herbst the money so that he could fake being a competitor. It would have allowed him to get close to his target.

If it had worked, the plan would have removed a huge threat from the black market. Instead, one of the target's allies got wind of it and passed the info along to an ally within the Auror Department, who instantly reported it to Hermione as corruption. Needless to say, Hermione dealt with the mole quickly and effectively.

Unfortunately, the news got out and Herbst's name was all over the papers, often coupled with the Department Head that had promoted him. Hermione had fought with Amos for nearly a week before Amos had directly ordered her to fire Herbst.

When she followed the orders, Amos had made the record of all of Herbst's previous actions public _in the name of transparency._

The next week, Herbst was dead, killed by one of the dozen groups that held a grudge against him.

Unfortunately, Harry knew that Hermione couldn't reveal a word of this. It was also clear that this was exactly what Peasegood had wanted. By mentioning the incident and asking her for an explanation, he ensured that Hermione was painted into a corner. She could say nothing and look corrupt and stupid.

Or...she could reveal the details of Herbst's plan and instantly be arrested for revealing secrets of the Ministry.

As Harry looked from Hermione over to Diggory, it was clear that he had gotten what he wanted: Hermione Granger was officially out of the race.

Hermione took only a moment to collect herself before Harry saw the same realization play out on her face.

"I wished for there to be more investigation into the events before we removed Mr. Herbst." Hermione answered tensely. "Unfortunately, I was ordered by the Minister to remove Mr. Herbst before we could ensure his safety."

"You wished to protect Mr. Herbst?" Peasegood countered. "Even after what he had done?"

"I wished to make sure that he didn't end up dead." Hermione growled. "Unfortunately, the Minister didn't share the same feeling."

"Why do you say that?"

"By releasing the details of Mr. Herbst's career to the public, Amos knowingly painted a target on Mr. Herbst's back. The only surprise was that he lasted as long as he did."

"Are you blaming Minister of Magic Diggory for the death of Mr. Herbst?"

Finally, Hermione smiled. If she couldn't win, she could at least do her best to take Diggory down with her.

"I'm saying the public should seriously look into an inquiry of the Minister and the certainty that his actions led to the death of Mr. Morgan Herbst. In fact, I would call for that inquiry today." Hermione said before turning to look at Tiberius Ogden, current head of the Wizengamot. "What do you think, Mr. Ogden?"


	3. Chapter 3

July 31 was always a strange day for Harry. This year, Harry would be twenty-five and, with a meeting to confirm his new job status as Headmaster just a week away, soon to be the youngest Headmaster in the history of Hogwarts.

Still, this had to have been one of the stranger birthdays for Harry. For most of the day, he had been working with Minerva as they prepared Harry for the day-to-day work involved with becoming the Headmaster. In fact, that had been most of his days, learning about the things that he didn't even realize the Headmaster had to do.

Each time Harry looked up and saw the photographs of Albus Dumbledore and Severus Snape looking down on him, Harry couldn't help but feel a strange sensation bubble up from deep in his stomach. Much to his own disbelief, he really was going to become the new Headmaster at Hogwarts.

But as strange as his days were, it was nothing compared to the night that he had planned for this evening. Ever since the Malfoy Insurrection, the Order of the Phoenix and Dumbledore's Army had decided to hold a joint reunion annually on Harry's birthday. They used it to celebrate another year of peace, to remember those that they had lost and to look forward to the future.

The unfortunate part of the whole thing was that today was also election day. After leaving school, Harry had made his way to the Ministry where he had submitted his ballot for Minister of Magic.

Needless to say, he voted for Hermione. However, the ballot wasn't quite that simple. With four candidates on the ballot, each voter was asked to rank their choices.

During the initial counting, only the first place votes would be counted. If there was no majority winner after that count, then the votes for the lowest receiving candidate would be tossed. From there, those votes would be changed to whomever was their second choice.

This process would repeat until someone had finally received fifty percent of the vote.

However, all of the information and conjecture coming out of the Ministry all led to the same, forgone conclusion: another win for Amos Diggory. While it was not likely to be as large a win as four years earlier, it was going to be a win regardless.

So, when Harry found Hermione sitting on the shore of the Black Lake, staring out at the sunset, he wasn't surprised.

"Mind if I join you?" Harry asked.

"Please." Hermione whispered as Harry took a seat on the beach next to her. Almost the moment he sat down, Hermione's head collapsed onto his shoulder.

Harry placed an arm around her as the couple sat and stared at the lake, neither of them quite sure what to say.

Surprisingly, it was Hermione that spoke up first several minutes later.

"I didn't expect it to happen this way."

"I know." Harry whispered. "We did the best we could. _You_ did the best you could."

"Did I?" Hermione muttered. "I could have gone after Diggory a lot earlier."

"You didn't want to."

"Maybe I needed it." Hermione replied, finally looking up at Harry. "I looked soft. You were right."

"I was hoping I wasn't."

"But you were." Hermione said as she finally stood up. "I looked like I wasn't willing to challenge him until I was backed into a corner. People knew that I didn't like him and they saw me as unwilling to challenge him."

"Well, we know better for next time." Harry replied as he followed Hermione's lead and stood.

"If there is going to be a next time."

"You won't run again?"

"I'm not sure, Harry." she admitted. "The last four months have been some of the hardest of my life. I don't know if I can get up for that kind of a fight again."

"I think you can."

"What makes you think so?" Hermione asked, taking Harry's hands in front of her.

"Because I know you, Hermione Granger." Harry grinned. "You are a fighter. You won't be able to look at what Amos Diggory has done and will continue to do and then simply lay down and let it happen."

"Maybe." Hermione replied. It had been years since Harry had seen Hermione like this. Confidence had never been an issue for Hermione. Even when people had been against her, she had always believed in herself.

But for the first time, Hermione believed her failures to be entirely her own. For most of her life, she had succeeded at everything she had attempted. Now, despite her best efforts, she had lost.

Looking at Hermione, he saw that she was also lost. This crisis of confidence was something that Harry knew could derail her if she allowed it. It was what had pushed him into disappearing for as long as he did. While he knew that would never be Hermione's reaction, he didn't want her to entertain the thought, even for a moment.

"Follow me."

"What!?" Hermione said as Harry took her hand and pulled, leading her towards the castle. Without answering her, Harry pressed forward. For nearly fifteen minutes, Harry pressed forward in silence despite Hermione's continued protests.

He led her into the castle then up seven flights of stairs to the destination: the painting of the Fat Lady.

"Why are we here?" Hermione asked.

"A fair question, young woman." The Fat Lady interjected.

"You shush." Harry scolded swiftly before turning back to Hermione. "We're here because it's important."

"What could possibly be important about dragging me back to our old dorm in the middle of the summer?"

"It's important because this was your dorm." Harry replied, looking at the Fat Lady. "It's important because of what it stands for. The house of Godric Gryffindor, bravest of the Founders. _You might belong in Gryffindor, Where dwell the brave at heart, Their daring, nerve, and chivalry Set Gryffindors apart."_

"The Sorting Hat's song from first year? Why do remember that?"

"Because it's important." Harry repeated. "I listened very intently to the Sorting Hat that day. I listened to how it described each of the houses and decided that above all else, I didn't want to be a Slytherin. I don't value cunning in the same way that I value loyalty and the knowledge that my friends will do what is right."

Slowly, Harry turned back to Hermione and took her hands once more.

"The same traits that made Albus Dumbledore, Minerva McGonagall, myself and my father a Gryffindor also apply to you, Hermione. You are daring and brave with nerves of steel. You are noble, chivalrous, powerful and courageous. You want to know how I know that you can work yourself up to run for Minister again? Because you are a Gryffindor, Hermione. For better or worse, I know that you will see that there is work that needs to be done. You won't wait, you won't hesitate, you won't compromise and you will not yield. Maybe in four years, there will be someone that can do it so that you aren't needed."

"Doubtful." Hermione replied darkly.

"You never know." Harry reminded her. "If there is someone, then maybe you will choose to let them do it and fight alongside them. But I know you most of all, Hermione Granger, and if there is no one to pick up the mantle and fight, then you will pick it up and carry it for as long as you can."

The tears in Hermione's eyes told Harry everything he needed to know about whether or not his words were breaking through to her. Slowly, he leaned forward, placing his forehead on hers and placing his right hand under her chin, caressing her face.

"In the end, it will be your choice. Whichever choice you make, know this: I will stand in marvel at the wonderful woman in front of me. Even if you run again and fail, there is nothing that you can do that will make me feel any less honored to know you.

"Harry…." Hermione said before leaning up to kiss him urgently. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." Harry said with a grin as he pulled away. "Now, I do believe that Ron is hosting a party that we're supposed to be attending?"

"I suppose we do have to. The group is named after you, after all."

"I asked them not to do that." Harry said with a roll of his eyes.

In the aftermath of the Malfoy Insurrection, The Order of the Phoenix and Dumbledore's Army had consolidated into one group. Publicly, the group had gone by Dumbledore's Army.

Privately, they had almost entirely gone for a new name: Potter's Army. Harry had hated the change. He didn't want the group to be about him. However, he was told by a particularly drunk George Weasley that, in George's words, "they didn't give a flying fuck about what Harry thought about the name."

Irony was high on the menu for that particularly reunion.

Still, even if Harry hated the name, he did enjoy the opportunity to see everyone together one more time.

* * *

Five years earlier, Ronald Bilius Weasley had been a co-operator of Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes, the second largest magical joke shop chain in the country. He had no longer been poor but he certainly wasn't wealthy either.

Now, Ronald Bilius Weasley was one of three owners of WWW, Inc., the largest magical company in the entirety of Europe. WWW had expanded beyond just joke shops. Now, they had clothing of their own, defense supply stores, mail-order for just about anything you could think of and the largest store to supply the Hogwarts student with just about anything you could think of.

The corporation had also purchased Flourish and Blott's to ensure that the business remained thriving, now operating solely as an antique book shop.

Six months earlier, Ron had accepted the position as Head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports, leaving Harry and George as the two operating owners of WWW. Obviously, Harry's position at Hogwarts left him extremely busy, meaning that George ran most of the operation on his own.

Of course, his staff, which five years earlier had been just five people, was now a whopping two hundred employees, which meant that George was now the largest employer of the magical population outside of the Ministry itself. In fact, the Muggle-like model that the three owners had promoted had led to a massive resurgence of the magical economy, leading to the highest comparative rate of the galleon against the British pound in nearly two hundred years.

All of this combined meant that Ron had plenty of money for the first time in his life. Mostly, Ron had simply stashed his earnings in a vault deep within Gringott's. But on the day that he became a billionaire, Ronald Weasley purchased land in the mountain region of Scotland north of Hogwarts and built one of the largest homes in the country, Muggle or magical.

It was there that tonight's party was being held. As Harry and Hermione landed side by side in the middle of his garden, Harry looked up and once more marveled at the size of the massive home that Ron had built for himself. Smiling mostly to himself, Harry couldn't help but be happy for his friend.

Ron had always been a good person and deserved great things. Now, he had them.

With one exception.

As Harry and Hermione entered the entrance hall of the house, the party was already in full swing. The entrance hall itself was five stories tall, the entire height of the house. The entirety of it was covered with what looked like graffiti. However, the art was intentional. It was Ron's personal monument to Dumbledore's Army as each person's name adorned the wall somewhere with the words that Neville had painted on the walls of Hogwarts the largest in the middle.

DUMBLEDORE'S ARMY; STILL RECRUITING

Harry would have been lying if he said that he liked the wall. Personally, he thought it was garrish. But the sentiment was nice. Still, Harry couldn't help but notice the plaques around the room that had been set up especially for this evening.

Each plaque had the name of someone that had been lost during the fight against Voldemort. The plaques were small with only the names adorning them. However, as Harry moved about the house, Harry did end up finding one that wasn't like the others.

IN HONOR OF GINNY WEASLEY

Harry wasn't sure how to feel about Ginny being honored alongside the likes of Fred and Remus and Tonks. On one hand, Ginny had been an integral part of the original Dumbledore's Army. On the other hand…..

Well, on the other hand, no one was quite sure where Ginny Weasley was these days. There were rumors, of course. Some said that she was still floating around England, causing the unfortunate deaths of those that still followed the Dark Arts. Others thought that she had escaped to the mainland and was simply waiting for the heat to die down.

In the end, no one was quite sure, not even Ron. She had escaped from Azkaban about eighteen months after her original imprisonment. Since then, Ron had yet to see her but he received a letter from her on the first of each month. She never detailed where she was other than to say that she was fine.

However, each letter was ended with the salutation: Death to the Dark Arts. It was a strange and uncomfortable saying that worried Harry each time he heard it. He only hoped that Ginny would eventually realize the errors of her way and return home to seek help.

Until then, Harry waited and hoped.

As Harry scanned the room, Harry looked up and saw Ron marching down the stairs, Angelina in tow.

"Oy!" Ron shouted, making the room go silent. "Ladies and gentlemen, the lady of the hour: Miss Hermione Granger!"

Instantly, the room roared in applause as Hermione blushed softly at the attention. As Ron approached Harry, he couldn't help but notice that Ron looked happier than he had been in his entire life. Even with the loss of Fred and Ginny's absence, life for Ronald Weasley had been on an upswing.

Much of that had to do with the woman on his arm. About eighteen months after Harry's speech at Hogwarts, Ron had returned to Angelina's flat in the middle of the night, sopping wet from a torrential downpour.

The first time she opened the door, she slammed it in his face.

The next morning, Ron had tried sending an owl to her instead.

Her reply was a very brief "No."

So, Ron did the most un-Ron thing he had done in his entire life: he stepped away. For nearly three months, Ron simply let Angelina live her life regardless of his feelings for her.

Then, one day in the middle of summer, he sent another letter. Her work at Hogwarts had meant that she was frequently in Hogsmeade where Ron's store was located. Occasional visits in to see him had led to a number of friendly encounters between the two of them. She saw how much he had matured in the last few years.

Her next reply was a very brief "Yes."

They had started dating almost immediately and made the relationship public. They revealed that they had attempted a brief relationship in the past but never felt right about telling George about it.

Thankfully, George had been the first person to find out about their relationship and had instantly given his blessing. Above all else, George wanted his family to be happy.

Now, they intended to be married in January, something that Harry still had a tough time wrapping his mind around.

"Mr. Weasley, how are you?" Harry said with a grin.

"Mr. Weasley is my father, you dolt."

"Fair enough." Harry said before turning to Angelina. "How are you tonight?"

"I'd be better if _Mr._ Weasley here wasn't insistent on making a grand entrance at his own party."

"What do you expect from me, dear?" Ron asked, feigning innocence.

"Very little." Hermione interrupted with a smile. "Of course, as a Ministry Department Head, I should expect more but it is Magical Games and Sports."

"Sorry, we can't all be Minister of Magic." Ron joked softly.

"I probably won't be, Ronald."

"You don't know that, Hermione." Harry replied.

"I know but it's not looking good." Hermione answered before turning to Harry. "I'm going to speak with Luna. I'll talk to you in a bit?"

"Sure." Harry grinned before kissing her gently on the cheek. As Hermione walked away, Ron poked Harry gently on the shoulder.

"How is she doing?"

"She _appears_ to be fine." Harry replied, knowing that Ron wouldn't go for that answer. Sure enough, Ron was giving him something close to a death glare. "She's struggling. She's never really failed like this before."

"There'd always been a reason." Ron reasoned aloud.

"Yes." Harry admitted in a hushed voice. "I'm worried about her."

"She's made of nails, Harry." Angelina whispered. "She'll bounce back."

"I know she will. I'm just worried about how far she'll fall before she lands."

"Do you think it will be that bad?" Ron asked.

"She's always been the best of us." Harry replied firmly. "She cares more about the rest of the world than she does about herself. She values her ability to help others above all else."

"She can still help people though." Ron interjected.

"You know she can, I know she can and I think, deep down, she knows it too. But when she looks out on the world, all she sees is injustice and inequality and that she hasn't done enough to help."

"That's absurd." Angelina scoffed.

"It is." Harry chuckled. "But we're not Hermione. Hermione is the most exceptionally brilliant person I have ever met. In the end, her standards are different than ours. While we could accept being mildly successful, there is a drive in her that won't be satisfied until she has done everything possible, helped everyone she can and learned everything there is to know."

"I suppose you're right." Angelina replied. "We should probably speak to some of the other guests."

"So should I." Harry agreed.

Immediately, Harry found Hermione in the far corner of the house, speaking with Neville and Luna about their plans for next school year. For the next hour or so, Harry and Hermione floated about the house together, speaking with a number of their former classmates.

Harry's favorite conversation of the evening had been with former Minister of Magic Kingsley Shacklebolt. Kingsley had taken advantage of his time off, working as a political consultant for various Ministries across Europe and northern Africa. In fact, Kingsley had spent the last six months working Morocco, advising the equivalent of their Head Auror on how to handle a particularly staunch rebel group devoted to the belief that all Pureblood wizards needed to die in order to promulgate the future of magical people.

It had been fascinating to hear about Kingsley's exploits. For all his celebrity, Harry had never left Britain. As the new Headmaster, he was going to be required to meet with the school leaders of Beauxbatons and Durmstrang to establish a rapport. Whenever the meeting occurred, it would take place at Beauxbatons Palace, marking the first time Harry had ever left the country.

Harry was broken from his thoughts on the subject when Ron's voice echoed through the house: "The first results are in!" Instantly, Hermione grabbed Harry's arm and dragged him back to the entrance hall where Ron stood at the first landing, a small piece of paper in his hands.

The look on Ron's face was surprisingly challenging to read. Harry thought that he read some mixture of frustration or sadness even, but it was truly impossible to tell.

Finally, Ron looked up from the paper in his hands.

"The first round of tallying goes as such: In first place, Amos Diggory with thirty-seven percent of the vote, Hermione Granger with twenty-two percent…..Samantha Lyman, also with twenty-two percent." Ron said to the surprise of the room. "Bringing up the rear is Tiberius Ogden with nineteen percent."

Instantly the room erupted into a raucous applause with Hermione at the center. This result was the best they could have hoped for. Because of the similarities in their positions, Tiberius Ogden was the one of the other three who Daphne had thought they may be able to poach votes from.

If that was the case, then the fifteen point difference between Amos and Hermione was certainly a hurdle they could potentially jump.

Quickly, Harry turned to Daphne who had appeared at their side just as Ron had finished reading the numbers.

"How high do we need to climb in order to have a chance of catching Diggory?" Harry asked, his voice noticeably higher pitched than usual.

"We're splitting up nineteen percent." Daphne replied, doing the math in her head. "Diggory is going to get at least 4% of that which will put him at forty-one percent. We'll get at least ten percent of Lyman's votes if the vote comes out our way. That would give Hermione thirty-two percent. That's a nine point difference."

"Do we need all nine points?" Hermione questioned.

"We need _at least_ nine." Daphne cautioned. "If we don't pick up nine percent of Ogden's votes, then we're dead in the water against Diggory."

As they finished this conversation, both Russell Appleby and Kathryn Downey approached the small group. A quick collection of congratulatory hugs and handshakes were passed around before conversation quickly turned to the way they thought the voting was going to go.

Appleby was convinced that Lyman had reached her ceiling and that she would take as little as one percent of Ogden's votes, giving Hermione the possibility of taking as much as fourteen percent of the vote.

Unfortunately, Downey wasn't a numbers expert. She simply smiled and nodded at this part of the conversation, a feeling that Harry could empathize with. He certainly understood the basics of it all but where the numbers were coming from, Harry was entirely uncertain.

This time, the crowd didn't dissipate. Instead, the entirety of the Order of the Phoenix and Dumbledore's Army remained in the entrance hall, waiting for the next set of results. From the way the last election had gone, they knew that the results would come quickly.

Sure enough, less than ten minutes later, Ron was back with another piece of paper.

"We have received the _final_ results in two steps. After recalculating the votes from Tiberius Ogden, the voting stands as such: Amos Diggory at forty-nine percent, Samantha Lyman at twenty-six percent and….."

Suddenly, Ron's voice fell out and Harry was able to instantly read Ron's face for the first time all night.

"And….and Hermione Granger at twenty-five percent."

It was a shock. Everything that had been said was that if Hermione had managed at least twenty percent of the vote in the first round, then it was almost certain that she would beat Lyman and challenge Amos Diggory directly.

The keywords being _almost_ certain.

Harry turned and saw Hermione's face briefly before she collapsed into Harry's chest as Ron read the last set of results

"After recalculating the votes from Hermione Granger, the voting stands as such: Amos Diggory at fifty-eight percent, Samantha Lyman at forty-two percent. Amos Diggory will remain as Minister of Magic."

For the rest of the evening, Hermione never once saw Hermione cry. Still, her eyes gave away the fear and disappointment that Harry had never seen from her before.

The rest of the party fell flat and within the hour, Harry and Hermione bid the rest of their friends good evening and went home.

No words were exchanged for the rest of the evening and each Harry and Hermione went to bed with no real intention of sleeping. Eventually, Harry moved from the bed to one of his chairs in the living room, falling asleep just as the sun began to rise over the mountains in the distance.


	4. Chapter 4

Just a few minutes after nine o'clock in the morning, Harry heard the familiar rap on the window of a Prophet owl. Harry groggily stood, made his way to the window where he paid the bird for the paper.

Mildly terrified of what he might see, Harry slowly flipped the paper over and was greeted with a side-by-side photograph of Amos Diggory and Hermione herself. Looking down, Harry noticed the article and began to read:

**DIGGORY WINS CLOSE ELECTION  
** _GRANGER STUMBLES INTO THIRD PLACE_

_BY PANSY PARKINSON_

_Less than twenty-four hours ago, the second ever public election for the office of Minister of Magic was held. Four years ago, we were surprised when dark horse candidate Amos Diggory rose to the top after only two rounds of voting calculation._

_This year, we were treated to no such surprise. As had been expected for months, Minister of Magic Diggory has once again won the right to act as our Minister of Magic. However, while the winner of the election is a surprise to none, the outcome of the second, third and fourth place finishers are much more of a shock._

_During the last election, Tiberius Ogden had been one of the prime candidates. In fact, most Ministry officials considered him to be the frontrunner for the position. In the aftermath of his first loss to Minister Diggory, Ogden had returned to his post as the head of the Wizengamot and worked efficiently, if not spectacularly, for the next four years. For Ogden to finish a very distant fourth in the race is a sure sign that his age has scared off potential voters, meaning that his time in the political spotlight may be at its end._

_Our second place finisher, Samantha Lyman, was considered, by most, to be a surefire candidate for last place. Having only worked within the Ministry for a period of three years, Lyman was a political outsider. However, her campaign focused almost entirely on aggressively pointing out the failings of Amos Diggory. From the outset, she rarely mentioned the other two candidates at all. It was a strategy that nearly worked as Minister Diggory won this election by a much smaller margin than his previous victory._

_But at the end of the day, the most important question lingers: What happened to Hermione Granger? Four years ago, Granger would have likely been elected without a true challenge. However, not only did Granger not win, she fell to a lowly third place finishes behind a Junior Department Head and a vulnerable incumbent._

_Ultimately, the decision by Granger and her campaign team to avoid critiquing the policies and proposals of the other candidates was likely her greatest failing. Regardless of the esteem she is held in, Granger seemed like someone who was just happy to be considered rather than someone who would have gone to any length to win._

Harry couldn't help but growl at the commentary for a couple of reasons. The fact that it was written by a clearly smug Pansy Parkinson hadn't helped.

But the fact that it was likely true also hurt. He had been adamant from the beginning that Hermione had needed to go on the offensive against a group of candidates that were weaker than her. Unfortunately, she had disagreed and Harry had agreed not to bring the topic up again.

Harry was just about ready to set the paper down when a small byline at the bottom of the page caught his eye.

**MINISTRY OFFICIAL FOUND DEAD**

BY EDWARD SNOW

_Elena King, 44, was found dead in her apartment last evening around ten o'clock. According to the Auror Office, there was nothing to indicate any cause of death, leading them to believe that she was murdered using the Killing Curse. Unnamed sources, however, state that her home appeared to have a single set of runes carved into the floor next to her body. When asked, Head Auror Kathryn Downey refused to comment on the matter and directed all further inquiry to the Auror Information desk._

_King worked at the administrative offices at the Ministry of Magic under the Department of Magical Education, serving as a personal aide to the Deputy Head of the department, Samantha Lyman. Lyman was unavailable to be reached for comment before the publishing of this story._

_If you have any potential information on the situation, please contact the Auror Information Desk or the Daily Prophet._

"Good morning."

Instantly, Harry dropped the paper and turned to see that Hermione was not only awake, but dressed and ready for work.

"G'morning." Harry shot back nervously. "Where are you going?"

"The office." Hermione replied. "I've let some things slide in the last couple of weeks."

"Hermione, it's Saturday. Stay in, relax for a bit."

"Why?"

"Hermione…."

"No, please explain to me, Harry. Please explain to me why I should stay in the house and not go to work."

"You've been working hard. You just need to take some time for yourself."

"Take some time for myself?" Hermione said, her voice unnaturally dark. "Is someone else going to do my work?"

"Hermione-"

"Harry, I lost." Hermione said bluntly. "Guess what? The world doesn't stop spinning because I lost an election. If I don't go do my job, then Amos is just going to appoint one of his friends to do my job. The Department of Magical Law Enforcement is the most important department in the entire Ministry."

"I know it is." Harry said, already starting to verbally backtrack. However, it was too late for that.

"We both know that I am great at my job, Harry. I help people. I meet with other people who can get things done. If you put someone else in my position, especially someone appointed by _Diggory,_ who knows what will happen!?"

"Hermione, I get it." Harry said calmly, trying his best to keep Hermione calm.

"Then why would you ask me to stay home? Why would you think for a minute that I would want that?"

"I thought that maybe you would want to talk. We never did get to speak last night after the event. You hardly said three words to me after the announcement."

"We can talk later. I have work to do."

Hermione made her way to the door before she stopped and turned back to Harry. Her expression had changed entirely. Instead of the hard and defensive look she had worn moments earlier, she was now smiling, a beacon of warmth and love.

She stepped over to Harry and kissed him softly on the cheek.

"We'll talk tonight, ok?"

"Alright." Harry said sadly.

"I know that you're looking out for me and I appreciate it. But I have a meeting with Diggory today and I need to be at my best."

"That's understandable." Harry replied. "What's the meeting about?"

"I'm fairly certain he's going to offer me a job."

"You already have a job."

"Yes."

"A very good job." Harry added.

"Yes."

"What job could you possibly want that…." Suddenly, it hit him. "You think he's going to offer you a job as Senior Undersecretary."

"I do."

"What happened to Gordon?"

Up until the day of the election, Richard Gordon had acted as Senior Undersecretary.

"Richard's wife has been sick for months and apparently, the prognosis isn't good."

"That's terrible." Harry whispered.

"He told Diggory several days ago that he was resigning regardless of who won the election."

"Why would he offer the position to you? The results of the election be damned, you're still his main political rival."

"I'm not certain but if I had to bet, he thinks that having me as Senior Undersecretary would make me seem subservient. If he wants one go at this before his ten year limit is up, he's going to need every advantage he can get. Making me his Senior Undersecretary works in every way for him."

"How so?"

"He looks like he's mending fences, first off. Anything that I accomplish can be attributed to him since the Senior Undersecretary is first and foremost an ambassador for the Minister."

"That means he'll get to take credit for everything you do."

"He would." Hermione admitted.

"Will you take the job if he offers it to you?"

Hermione looked more conflicted in that moment that Harry could remember seeing her. On one hand, it's the second highest position in the country. On the other, she would be working as the indentured servant to a man that she could barely stand and definitely didn't respect.

"I'm not sure." Hermione said before altering the direction of the conversation. "What's your plan for the day?"

"Minerva and I are meeting to go over the candidates for our last vacancy."

"The Arithmancy position?"

"Yes." Harry said with a grimace. "Ever since Septima retired in June, we've had a hell of a time finding someone for the position. I've even started petitioning experts from the continent to take the position on a temporary basis."

"Well, I'm sure you'll find someone for the position."

"I know we will eventually. I'm just not sure that we know where to look."

"If you need any help, I can talk to Samantha."

"Samantha Lyman?"

"I have no problems with Samantha. If I had known from the beginning that she would have beaten me, I would have pledged my support for her. She's very good at her job and highly intelligent."

"If you say so. I barely know her."

"I do say so." Hermione said with a smirk. "Find your professor, alright?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"And stop calling me ma'am." Hermione said as she rolled her eyes.

"Of course, ma'am."

"You're lucky I don't hex you for that cheek."

"I'm well aware."

"Have a good day, Harry."

"You too, 'Mione."

* * *

As Harry stood and looked out the window of his office, he couldn't help but think that this was the kind of summer day that, in years past, he would have spent all day flying. Now, he was stuck in the Headmaster's office at Hogwarts, still unofficially his, preparing for his meeting with the Governors meeting the next day.

"I still think we need to confirm the post before the meeting tomorrow." Minerva said firmly as Harry paced the room. "The governors are upset about this transition."

"Can you explain that to me?" Harry asked, the question he had been begging to ask finally exploding out of his mouth. "Five years ago when you hired me, my contract included a clause that would allow me to become the next Headmaster upon your retirement, did it not?"

"It did."

"Then how can they be upset? They approve all of the contracts that the Headmaster signs."

"Yes but I don't think they ever expected you to stay this long. I can only assume that they believed that you would be dragged back into the Auror corps or that some external threat would have taken you away from the school."

"Or that I would have gotten bored." Harry added.

"Any of those options would have worked for them." Minerva agreed. "They agreed to the contract because it got you back to the school. You were a qualified teacher and a high profile one who could help the school recover after the damage left by Riddle."

"They never had any intention of letting me become Headmaster."

"Not without a fight." Minerva replied. "If we are well prepared for tomorrow's meeting, then it should be fine. But if you slip even once in that meeting, they'll call for an injunction."

"That will do what?"

"It will suspend your appointment until an independent party can review your plans and settle the dispute."

"How long could that take?" Harry asked as he dropped into the Headmaster's chair.

"Up to three months. They would appoint a temporary Headmaster in the meantime and likely push for them to take the position instead."

"What are the odds of all this happening?" Harry thought aloud.

"Low." Minerva said, allowing Harry to breath deeply for the first time in awhile. "They ultimately know that the press would dog them for going against you so aggressively. However, the Governors are not known for allowing the school to be run without them, even without Lucius Malfoy there to push them around."

"Then let's review the staff list again." Harry said as he pulled the list they had in front of them. "Potions is still Angelina."

"Of course." Minerva replied, taking note of their list. "Gemma is still returning?"

"I had to convince her but yes, she will be back."

"How did you convince her?"

"I promised her a pay bump and guaranteed that she wouldn't have to work on weekends anymore."

"The other staff won't like that."

"She's the longest tenured staff member not named McGonagall, they'll understand." Harry replied coldly. "Defense will be Padma Patil."

"You've confirmed that?"

"She told me two days ago." Harry confirmed. "I was fairly certain that she would take the job, I was just waiting for the actual confirmation."

"Understandable. Gemma's return was probably helpful."

"I'm not certain. I try and stay away from social gossip, especially between possible romantic connections between the staff."

"Getting a head start on ignoring these things?"

"No, I just couldn't be bothered to care." Harry said with a dry smirk. "Sarah remains as Charms professor as does Neville for Herbology."

"Good. What about Astronomy?"

"Susan Bones." Harry said without looking up from his paper.

"Susan Bones? Your classmate?"

"She was a Hufflepuff in my year, yes." Harry replied, finally looking up. "Why?"

"The fact that you seem to be hiring a number of people that you were in school with is something that the Governors may latch onto."

"Why?"

"They'll say you're biased."

"I am biased."

"Please don't repeat that in front of the Governors."

"Obviously." Harry said with a dramatic roll of his eyes. "But I am biased. The fact that I am less of a public figured hasn't changed the fact that I am still a target to some. I need to know that my staff will follow my every direction. So, they need to be qualified and willing to protect the students at any cost, even if it means betraying me."

"I understand, Harry." Minerva replied. "I didn't mean that I disapproved."

"Belby will be back as Flying Instructor."

"As expected."

"History of Magic." Harry said with a look at Minerva.

"What about it?"

"I haven't filled it yet."

"You would like me to keep teaching it?"

"There's no one interested." Harry bemoaned softly. "I'm having trouble filling the Arithmancy post but not for a lack of candidates, just qualified ones. But I have been able to find not a single person who will take the History position."

For a moment, Harry thought that Minerva might turn him down. However, after taking a few seconds, she closed her eyes and nodded.

"If you find no one else."

"Good." Harry replied, marking down her confirmation. "Luna is staying for Magical Creatures as is Dennis in Muggle Studies. Now, the big catch: Bill Weasley."

"You convinced him?"

Harry couldn't help but smile. "He'll be arriving tomorrow after the meeting to iron out the final details to take the Runes position."

"That's a coup, Harry. We've never had someone that qualified teaching the subject at this school."

"That's because there hasn't been someone as qualified as Bill Weasley in centuries. Hell, the goblins trust him like one of their own."

"I'm excited just at the thought." Minerva replied before noticing the next subject on the list. "Did you speak to her?"

"Divination will be on the slate this year once more with Sybil Trelawney at the helm."

"Good god." Minerva grumbled.

"She's the real deal, Minerva." Harry countered. "Plus, it's going to be a different kind of course. Much like the Auror course I am creating, it will be limited to a select group of students who show potential aptitude."

"Certainly a better position than what we had before." Minerva replied before noticing the one spot left on the list. "Arithmancy?"

"I've met with nearly a dozen candidates." Harry said with a sigh as he collapsed into his chair. "Some just interested in speaking with me, others interested in the position but woefully underqualified. One of them didn't even take the course but had simply done some reading, I knew more about the subject than they did."

"There is one option that you haven't explored." Minerva said with a tone of caution in her voice.

"Really? It seems like I've looked everywhere for someone."

"You haven't look in your own house."

"Sure I have." Harry replied. "In fact, I interviewed four separate Gryffindors. They just weren't very good."

"Not exactly what I meant." Minerva said, this time more deliberately. "I meant your house, your home."

"My home?" Harry said as her meaning suddenly dawned on him. "Hermione? You think I should ask Hermione?"

"I do."

"Why?" Harry asked sharply.

"Because she's one of the most gifted students of the subject this school has ever seen. Because above any student that I have ever taught, Ms. Granger is suited to teach and encourage discovery, a fundamental aspect of the study of arithmancy. Finally, I believe that her time at the Ministry is about to come to an end."

"How do you know that?" Harry asked in concern.

"I have friends within the Ministry, Harry." Minerva said, a conspiratorial tone to her voice. "I am sure that you know that Amos intends to offer Hermione the position of Senior Undersecretary."

"I do."

"If she doesn't take it, she will be removed from her position entirely. Amos has apparently already been calling in potential candidates."

"Can he do that?"

"Technically, no; but it's obviously not stopping him." Minerva explained. "Do you think that Ms. Granger will take the job?"

"No." Harry said confidently. "She knows that it's Amos' way of putting her on a leash. He's destroying any chance she has of becoming Minister someday."

"Then it's also likely that she is going to be unemployed regardless. Why not offer her the opportunity to come back to Hogwarts?"

The thought was certainly enticing. Hermione would be the most qualified person to teach just about every subject at Hogwarts but Arithmancy had been where she had really put her stake during her time at Hogwarts. Still, the thought of asking his girlfriend to work _for_ him was something that made him uneasy.

Unfortunately, Harry didn't have much time to think about it. Just as the words were out of Minerva's mouth, his fireplace suddenly lit up with the face of Kingsley Shacklebolt.

"Enter." Harry ordered the fireplace. The second the word was out of his mouth, Minerva stood and slipped out of the room as Kingsley entered through his fireplace.

"Kingsley." Harry said as he greeted the former Minister of Magic with a handshake. "What can I do for you?"

"I come with a message from Kathryn Downey." Kingsley said as he sat across from Harry.

"Why can't Kathryn come to me personally?"

"Because she can't officially bring this information to you." Kingsley informed him, causing Harry's ears to perk up. "Have you seen the paper this morning?"

"Seriously?"

"Fair point." Kingsley said with a smirk. "Did you see the bit about the Ministry official who died at home?"

"I did." Harry said cautiously.

"The Prophet only got a small part of that story. There's more to it."

"How much more?"

"You tell me." Kingsley said as he laid a photo on the desk. Instantly, the photo showed him something that Harry never thought he would see again.

Carved into the floor just above what was obviously Elena King's corpse was a single rune.

Only, as Hermione Granger had discovered, it was no rune: it was the mark of the Deathly Hallows.

Looking up, Harry saw a look of fear on Kingsley's face.

"Tell me everything."

* * *

In the aftermath of Draco Malfoy's attack on the Ministry, one large change had been made. Now, the Ministry was no longer one single building hidden within the bowels of Muggle London. Instead, the Ministry had taken its massive wealth and purchased a number of locations around the country. While the original Ministry building was still in use, nearly half of its former inhabitants were now located somewhere else.

The largest of these buildings was simply referred to as The Tower. Originally, the building had been a long forgotten precursor to Azkaban. Now, it held the executive offices of the Minister of Magic and the entirety of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. Instead of operating from one of the largest power centers of all Europe, the head of the Ministry now operated from a seaside tower in the very north of Scotland, a well-hidden and private location.

However, that didn't mean that the Ministry had dwindled their desire for spectacle. In fact, the new Ministry building could easily be described using one word: opulent. Gold and silver lined nearly everything in the new Atrium with a replicated version of the fountain from the original Ministry building at its center. However, this version of the fountain and its statue was made entirely of glass, allowing the gold and silver around it to reflect through its translucent frame, creating a light show during the day and an eerie sense in the evening.

This also extended to the office of the Minister himself. Instead of a rather small and subtle office that had been traditional of the Minister, Amos Diggory had instead elected for a massive office. In fact, Hermione was relatively certain that the entirety of the first floor of the Burrow could have fit instead of the room several times over.

It was clear that as the first Minister to preside over this new facility that Diggory himself had been in control of much of the design. Within his own office, dark woods were accented by an overabundance of gold lining, even on the bookshelves that were built into the wall behind his massive glass desk, mirroring the same effect that could be found in the Atrium.

Diggory himself had changed much since her first experience with him. Back in her fourth year, he had seemed a fairly charming and jovial man, watching the Quidditch World Cup Final with his son.

Then, Cedric had died. In the years that had followed, it was clear to those around him that Amos had never truly gotten over Cedric's death. While he had continued working and going on with his live, he had initially seemed frail and delicate. Just after the death of Albus Dumbledore, that had changed. Almost overnight, Amos turned into a shrewd and cold politician. He had been one of the few to outright leave the Ministry when Voldemort's coup had taken place.

Now, Diggory's goal in life was clear: he wanted no one to endure the suffering that he had been forced to live with. With his wife dying just a year after Voldemort's demise, Amos Diggory now lived alone in a world devoid of a true dark presence for the first time in nearly a century. If Diggory had been any less cruel, Hermione may have felt bad for him. As it was, Diggory's hard nature and generally poor disposition meant that she rarely wanted anything to do with him.

Unfortunately for Hermione, no one turns down a meeting with the Minister of Magic, even when you know exactly why you've been called there.

Her only shock was to see Tiberius Ogden present at the meeting as well. After a few pleasantries, Diggory invited them both to sit and began.

"Now, I imagine you both have some idea why you're here."

"Richard Gordon has stepped down." Tiberius replied firmly. "You'll be needing a new Undersecretary."

"Too right." Diggory replied, feigning a joy that Hermione knew was a front. Gordon had been Diggory's right hand man for years. Losing him now as his grasp of the Ministry was starting to loosen couldn't be easy for him.

"With Richard leaving, I felt it was time for a shakeup within the Ministry."

"What kind of shakeup?" Hermione asked bluntly.

"Personnel." Diggory answered. "I've already moved around several mid-level employees to shake things up. However, I would really like to shake up the top."

"What were you thinking, Amos?" Tiberius asked suspiciously.

"My plan is this, Tiberius. I would like you to take over as Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement."

"Ms. Granger is the head of that department." Tiberius shot back.

"For now." Amos said before turning to her. "I would like you to take over as Junior Undersecretary."

For a moment, Hermione's mind blanked. When she finally realized that she was simply sitting in silence, she cleared her throat and spoke up, her voice barely operating.

" _Junior_ Undersecretary?"

"Charles Hope will be my Senior Undersecretary." Diggory replied plainly. "Hope is currently the Junior Undersecretary and deserves the promotion."

"If you say so." Hermione replied, doing her best to bite her tongue.

"Plus, let's face it Hermione, you did your best work while you were Junior Undersecretary. The work that you did for Kingsley was magnificent."

"Are you implying something about my current work, _Minister?_ "

"Of course not." Diggory snapped back. "You have done fine work as a Department Head but ultimately, you are a lawmaker. It's your prime skill and it's being wasted in your current position."

"May I ask you a question?" Hermione asked suddenly.

"Certainly." Diggory replied through gritted teeth.

"Would you consider this change to be a promotion for me?"

"Well, Ms. Granger-"

When it was clear that Diggory wasn't going to answer straight, Hermione immediately jumped down his throat.

"Yes or no, Amos." Hermione snapped. "It was a simple question and it deserves a simple answer."

"Remember to whom you are speaking, Ms. Granger." Diggory growled, standing slightly so that he could lean over his desk. "You may be sore over the results of our election but that does not give you the right-"

"Spare me the lecture, Diggory." Hermione said, cutting him off in the middle of his grandstanding. "We both know that we don't like each other. I'm not interested in working with you if it's not needed. Unfortunately, it is needed so I will for the time being."

"I am grateful for that." Diggory grumbled softly.

"But," Hermione said, not quite done with the Minister. "You would do well not to forget who you are speaking to, Amos."

"And who is that?"

"One of the two people in this country that can turn the media on you in an instant."

"Is that a threat, Granger?

"Not at all." Hermione said with a grim smile plastered on her face. "Just a reminder."

"Like I need one."

"You seem to. You forget that by even offering me this position, you've put me in an impossible position...and by extension, you."

"How is that?"

"If I take this job, you are going to be looked at as the moron who demoted Hermione Granger."

"This is not a dem-"

"Spin it however you want but you know that you will lose that battle. That's the problem with free elections, isn't it? You don't own the media anymore. But, the worst case scenario for you is if I flat out turn you down."

"You wouldn't." Diggory replied, finally smiling. "The Ministry is your life. Ever since you and Potter and the Weasley boy finished galavanting across the country pretending to be heroes, you've lived for the Ministry. It is your life. I know it, you know it. Don't pretend to think that you are going to walk away."

At that, Hermione couldn't help but let out a small laugh. As she stood and collected her things, she pulled out her Department Head badge and set it on Diggory's desk.

"Let Tiberius have the job but find yourself some other schmuck to be your Junior Undersecretary."

"You're bluffing." Diggory said uncertainly.

"I'm not." Hermione said coldly. "Spin this however you want but you knew that offering me this position meant either forcing me to work in your corner, something I couldn't morally do, or walk away, something _you thought_ I would never do. You made one mistake in that line of thinking, however."

"Do enlighten me."

"You thought that the Ministry was my life." Hermione said softly. "But my life has been the same since I was five years old and put up posters from my neighbor's missing cat. My life has been dedicated to helping people, Amos, something you seem entirely incapable of doing anymore. Somewhere in time, you lost yourself to this crude monster you've become."

"I will not tolerate this kind of talk in my own office, Granger!" Diggory finally exploded, standing and pounding on his desk as he yelled.

"I was here to help people. Now, I'll have to find some other way of doing that." Hermione said sadly as she moved to the door. She had intended to leave but just as she opened the door, a thought popped into her head.

Turning back to Amos Diggory, Hermione spoke, knowing that her words would cut deep but hoping they would eventually do more help than harm.

"Cedric would be disappointed in the man you've become."

Whatever reaction Hermione had expected, silence was not one. Instead of doing anything, Amos simply allowed his hands to drop to his side at the mention of his son. Once again, Hermione nearly felt sorry for him. But then she remembered that this man had cared for people at one point.

Now, it was clear that he only cared for himself.

Slowly, Hermione stepped out of the door, leaving Tiberius in the room with a clearly occupied Amos Diggory. Once the door was closed, Hermione walked away, free from the Ministry for the first time in her adult life and completely unsure of what the future held for her for only the second time in her life.

The last time? She had been eleven about to board a train to a school of magic.


	5. Chapter 5

Fear was never something that Harry that he would see on the face of Kingsley Shacklebolt. The man had lived through one wizarding war, led the fight through another and been Minister of Magic for two years. He was calm, poised and well versed in traveling through even the most murky of political and military terrain.

Which is why when Harry saw the look on his face, he knew that something was very wrong.

"Tell me everything." Harry whispered.

"This is the rune described in the Prophet article." Kingsley started slowly. "I'm certain you recognize it."

"You know that I do. You're also one of the few people that know the entire story about Voldemort and what the importance of this particular symbol is. So why don't you tell me why it appeared above the body of a random Ministry official?"

"I don't believe it to be random at all, Harry." Kingsley said, looking away, his face etched with worry. "In fact, I believe it to be the exact opposite of random. This is some sort of message."

"Any idea what kind of message?"

"I have ideas."

"Explain." Harry ordered firmly. If Kingsley expected to get any sort of preferential treatment from Harry, he didn't seem to show it as he did exactly as Harry commanded.

"The first option is the easiest. Someone out there knows about the Deathly Hallows and wants you to know it. Whether murdering someone was important to their plan or simply a way to get our attention is unclear."

"How often in my life is the easiest option the most likely?" Harry smirked grimly. "What's the other option?"

"The other option involves the longer history of the Hallows themselves."

"How so?" Harry questioned, suddenly worried where Kingsley's story might take them.

"As Xenophilius told you, there have been rumors, myths, legends even surrounding the Hallows for centuries. The stories have been around for as long as this school has. For over a millenia, witch and wizard alike have searched for these objects, convinced they would give them the chance to commune with death."

"Or even eternal life." Harry added.

"Exactly." Kingsley confirmed. "While we know that isn't true, the knowledge of the Peverell brothers is not exactly common knowledge."

"For good reason. If the rest of the world learned that these objects were created by man, there would no end to the questions about them. They would become the most sought after objects on the planet."

"We've hid them now, Harry." Kingsley reassured him. "The Elder Wand remains in Dumbledore's tomb, you hold the Cloak and the Stone has been locked away."

"Good."

"Why did we do that?"

"Hide the Hallows?"

"It's better for everyone this way." Harry replied.

"Would you say it was _for the greater good?_ " Kingsley countered, leaning heavily on the words at the end of his phrase.

"The greater good?" Harry questioned. "This symbol…..he used it. Grindelwald."

"He did." Kingsley said with a nod. "In the forties, there was no wizard on the planet more feared than Gellert Grindelwald. He was the first wizard to truly meddle in the affairs of Muggles since the Statute of Secrecy was enacted. He propped up hateful men all across Europe and Asia, who led their countries to the brink of annihilation. Dumbledore's intervention, along with the folks across the pond, were the only two reasons why Grindelwald isn't worshipped as a sort of magical demigod today."

"Why is this important now, Kingsley? Grindelwald has been locked away in that prison of his for sixty years*. He's over one hundred and twenty years old. According to the last report of his captures, he can't even stand. He hasn't had consistent communication with the outside world in fifty years. Even Bathilda hadn't spoken with him since he left Godric's Hallow all those years ago. What could this possibly have to do with him?"

"It might not have anything to do with him, Harry. Not anymore."

"What do you mean?"

Leaning forward, Kingsley's baritone voice spoke barely above a whisper, not wanting even the portraits to hear him speak.

"In the years immediately after Grindelwald's capture, there were trials for those that followed him. However, considering the scope of his reign of terror, Europe was certain that there were those among his closest of advisors that had slipped through their fingers. For years, they searched for clues as to who these people could have been but with no success."

Kingsley looked around sharply. It was clear to Harry that Kingsley was concerned to even be discussing this with him, let alone considering the possibility of whatever he was about to tell him.

"Within the last three years, the Auror Office has secretly been observing a group in Central Europe that refers to itself as The Masters of Death."

"That's hardly a coincidence."

"Quite to the contrary, it is intentional. They believe in Grindelwald's policies. They do not wish to kill the Muggles like Voldemort. Instead, they wish to subjugate them, put them under our thumb, as it were, and use them as slave labor."

"Merlin." Harry muttered to himself.

"So far, there has been no confirmed attacks or actions done by this group. However, there is a reason that Kathryn has been so concerned about them. There are some within the international magical community that believe that the recent attacks on magical people using Muggle means are a splinter group of the Masters, one solely devoted to bringing about the legacy of Gellert Grindelwald by any means necessary."

"They use Muggle methods to kill wizards. We start to become mistrustful of the Muggle population." Harry said, referring to the recent attacks on wizards with Muggle weapons.

"Eventually, one incident is too much." Kingsley added. "The next day, the most terrible and tragic war that the world will ever see would begin. Two sides that know nothing about each other fighting for control. Billions would die under a "fight or be eliminated" mantra that would be repeated by both sides ad nauseum."

"That's disgusting." Harry barked roughly. "So you think this murder was committed by a member of the Masters of Death?"

"Not at all." Kingsley said, finally smiling strangely. "I believe that Elena King was a member of the Masters of Death."

"So…"

"Like I said, someone is trying to send us a message." Kingsley repeated. "The question is who and for what purpose?"

The thought of there being some kind of rogue agent out there was both intriguing and terrifying to Harry. While it was certain that this person was obviously against the Masters of Death, whether or not they were on the same side as himself remained to be seen.

"...death to the dark arts…" Harry whispered to himself, suddenly reminded of those words. "How truthful was the article in the Prophet?"

"As truthful as it could be considering Kathryn ordered the site to be hidden from the public."

"Did someone leak the story intentionally then?" Harry asked. "Leaving out key facts."

"I believe so."

"Could one of those facts be how she died?" Harry pressed further.

"What are you asking?"

"How did she die, Kingsley?"

"She…...was beheaded. A single Cutting Curse to the neck. Quick, clean, efficient."

"Death to the dark arts…." Harry repeated the words that Ginny Weasley had used to sign her letters to Ron.

"Pardon me?" Kingsley questioned.

"Oh, it's nothing." Harry lied, doing his best to slip the subject.

"Death to the dark arts? Why did you say that? What does it mean?"

"I can't be certain, Kingsley." Harry replied honestly. "I wouldn't want to tell you something and have it turn out to be false."

"But you think you do know something. Her method of death means something?"

"I believe it is part of the message but I...I can't be certain." Harry repeated. "You came to me with this information. Why?"

"Because I thought you would know something." Kingsley answered in the most straightforward way. "Because you know what that symbol stands for."

"I'm glad you came to me." Harry said with a smile. "Who else knows that you're here?"

"Kathryn knows but did not direct me to come here personally."

"So she would be able to deny that we ever spoke?"

"Yes." Kingsley said with a curt nod.

"Good." Harry replied, standing as he spoke. "Don't repeat any of this to anyone. I'll take it from here."

"I hear you have enough to deal with from the Governors tomorrow." Kingsley said with a grin. "You're sure this is something that you want to handle?"

"Right now, I may be the only person that can handle it." Harry answered in a hurry. "In fact, I must go see someone about this right away."

"Do what you can and then let me know." Kingsley answered, shaking Harry's hand before disappearing back into the fire where he came.

Ginny was involved in this somehow. Harry wasn't certain why he believed it. He had no proof of any kind that would lead him in that direction. But there had always been something ominous about those salutations, something that led Harry to believe that she had more planned than she was letting on.

Ginny was never one to sit and let the world pass her by. For three and a half years, she had stayed away but Harry doubted for a moment that she had simply waited for the world to forget about her. The rumors that always seemed to follow any potential sighting for her died down too quickly for Harry's liking, as if someone was trying to help her disappear.

In the end, there were two people mostly likely to know where she was. The first one would be an easier conversation, Harry thought to himself as he threw a hastily scribbled note into the Floo. Seconds later, Ron Weasley appeared in front of him, thrown out of the fireplace and into his office.

"Floo?" Ron asked simply.

"It's complicated and we may not have a lot of time." Harry replied harshly. "Sit."

"What is this about?" Ron asked as Harry prepped for the question that he was about to ask.

"Do you have any idea where Ginny is?"

"Harry?" Ron asked cautiously.

"Did you see the bit in the Prophet about the woman who had been murdered? Junior Ministry official?"

"Yes."

"I just had Kingsley in my office telling me that he believes that her death was perpetrated by someone intending to expose a conspiratorial group of Gellert Grindelwald's followers, hell bent on subjugating Muggles."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

Harry took the next ten minutes to fill Ron in on the limited information that Kingsley had given him. Needless to say, Ron was a bit overwhelmed when Harry finally finished.

"Now, do you know where your sister is?"

"I'm still not certain how Ginny plays into this, mate."

"Death to the Dark Arts." Harry said, echoing Ginny's line. "Elena King was killed with a single Cutting Curse to the neck, severing her head completely. Does that sound familiar to you? Because it sounds like Draco Malfoy to me."

"You really think this could be Ginny?"

Do you think that Ginny would be the kind of person that would take a group like this lying down?"

"Not likely."

"She's been gone for three and a half years, Ron. Don't you ever wonder what she's doing?"

"I always figured it was better not knowing." Ron replied honestly. "We both know that Ginny took a rather steep dive off the deep end when she killed Malfoy."

"You have no idea where she is?" Harry pressed once more.

"I don't." Ron replied honestly. "She's been smart. She never reveals any sort of details about where she is or what she's been doing."

Finally, Harry stood and began pacing.

"Why do you think this was her?"

"I'm not sure other than the method of murder." Harry answered truthfully. "But for as long as I've known Ginny, she's never struck me as the type of person that would let this type of thing go. She's doing something out there, Ron. I just don't know what it is."

Harry marched around his desk and sat on it, putting himself directly in front of Ron.

"We need to find her."

"No way." Ron replied as he jumped out of his seat. "You promised me."

"I know I did." Harry said sadly.

"When she left, I made you and Hermione promise me that you would never go after her."

"I'm not going after her."

"What the hell do you think you're doing then?"

"I'm trying to protect her, Ron!" Harry shouted, leaping to his feet. "These are fanatics. If this truly is her, then she's fighting something that's too big for her on her own. This group has survived in the shadows of the earth for sixty years. If they are even half as bad as Kingsley made it sound, they are dedicated, they're zealots. They will give their lives to make sure that some day, magic rules over Muggles."

"You don't think Ginny can handle them?"

"I don't think I could handle them." Harry countered. "Think about it. Sixty years. If they are still operating, that means they've recruited. They've probably passed the right to be a part of the Masters of Death from generation to generation. We're probably looking at the grandchildren of the original Masters."

"But doesn't that just make them blowhards?" Ron countered. "They've been around for six decades and they're waiting until now to start making a move? Why?"

"I don't know enough to guess."

"You don't know enough." Ron said, reiterating Harry's words. "I understand where you're coming from. Really, I do. But if you want me to help you trap my sister, you're going to need more than just _someone may be trying to do something that involves something._ "

"I understand." Harry said dejectedly. "Damn it."

"What?"

"I was hoping that you would give her up."

"Why?"

"Because I'm fairly certain that the Ministry knows where Ginny is and has intentionally gone out of their way to not find her."

The look on Ron's face showed his unvoiced skepticism.

"Think about the rumors that we've heard." Harry started. "Every time we hear just a fragment of news, it is instantly explained away. I think the longest time a sighting went without being debunked by the Ministry was a day. A day, Ron."

"What's your point?" Ron said with a sigh as he took his seat once more. Harry could tell that Ron was merely indulging him at this point. However, if Harry was going to move forward with this, someone else needed to hear it before Harry acted on anything.

"What if the Ministry is using Ginny?"

"Excuse me?"

"Every government has its secrets." Harry said wildly. "Ginny is determined, talented and would be a perfect ghost if given the proper training."

"She was given the proper training, Harry. You trained her." Ron replied.

"I never trained her to disappear, not like she has been. No, it seems to me that someone has been covering for her."

Suddenly, Ron comprehended exactly Harry's meaning as his face darkened with concern.

"You think Hermione knows."

"I could be nuts, you know. It wouldn't be the first time." Harry countered with a smile. "There have just been too many close calls when it comes to her."

"I understand." Ron replied before wincing slightly. "Are you going to ask her?"

"I have to, Ron. She's going to be angry."

"Don't you two have some sort of pact where you don't ask each other about certain things?"

"She doesn't ask me for help with any sort of Dark magic."

"And you don't ask her about the more secret aspects of her job." Ron finished. "Isn't this exactly that?"

"I suppose it would be."

"Explain to me how she doesn't murder you in the street for asking."

"She would murder me in our apartment."

"I meant after she Banished you from the room and you landed in the middle of the street." Ron laughed.

"Fair point." Harry replied, joining in Ron laughing at the rather terrifying image of Hermione murdering Harry in the streets of Hogsmeade. Eventually, the laughter between the two of them died down and each were left to their own thoughts. "It's a big leap, Ron."

"It is." Ron agreed.

"I have no real evidence."

"You don't."

"Just a hunch."

"Yup."

"Ginny has confirmed none of this."

"She has not."

"So why is everything in my gut telling me that she still has some part to play in this?"

"I can't tell you." Ron said as he stood to make his departure. "But I've learned to trust your gut. You should too."

"Thanks."

"Not a problem." Ron smiled. "Tell Hermione I said hi."

"Same to Angelina."

"Will do." Ron said. As he turned to make his way back through the fire, he suddenly stopped. Harry watched as Ron fought with himself for a second before turning back to Harry, a strange look on his face.

"What is it?"

"How does she send me those letters?"

"What?"

"Each month, on the first of each month, I receive a letter from her. Now that I think about it, I've never seen an owl bring the letter. It just appears on my doorstep."

"That's a problem?" Harry said, trying to lighten the mood with a laugh.

"Harry, I had you and the Gringotts' goblins create my wards. This castle may be the only place in the country that's more secure."

"So?"

"So...how does that letter make it through my wards? The rest of my letters come through the post box that sits outside the wards. Only this one lands on my doorstep."

"You think someone is putting it there."

"Either someone supremely powerful is abusing my wards to deliver a letter…"

"Or someone with access to your wards is doing it for her." Harry finished the thought before pressing forward. "Who has access?"

"All the time? The Weasleys, Angelina, you….and Hermione."

"Does Ginny herself have access?"

"She does...but she doesn't have access to an Invisibility Cloak." Ron reminded him.

Suddenly, a pit fell in Harry's stomach. Even if the story that Harry and Ron had come up with was wild and speculative, it made just enough sense that he knew that he was going to have to speak to her about it.

"Go." Harry urged gently. "I have to prepare."

"I'm sorry, mate."

"It's not a big deal." Harry smiled. "Just say something nice at my funeral."

"Unlikely."

* * *

After a long day working with select members of the returning staff on improving lesson planning and curriculum work, Harry packed up his things and took the opportunity to walk back from the castle alone. It was a terrible humid evening even though the sun had long since set. In fact, by the time Harry returned to Hogsmeade proper, he had worked up quite a sweat simply by being outside.

As Harry walked down the main street of Hogsmeade, he could see some of the children that lived in the town playing in the streets, openly using magic. The Masters of Death would have loved to see that everywhere. Despite Harry's reservations of the group's methods and ultimate goal, he could understand why they would feel they did.

For centuries, magical folk across the world had been forced to hide. Now, in a world that was increasingly larger, it became harder to do that. Every day, it seemed that the Prophet was reporting that the Obliviation Squad had to be sent out again to alter the memories of another group of Muggles that had accidentally wandered into Hogsmeade or Godric's Hallow or any of the more magical settlements in the country.

Opening the door, Harry was surprised to see Hermione already home. Then, he remembered the meeting she had attended this morning and suddenly her presence at home made sense. For the first time in months, however, she looked peaceful, simply looking through her old copy of The Tales of Beedle the Bard. For a few moments, he simply watched her read, observing her in her most natural state.

But, eventually she noticed him standing in the doorway. As Harry sat down across from her, she offered a half-smile and then leaned in to kiss him. As they separated, Harry took her hands in his.

"Rough day?"

"Very." Hermione said, her voice thick from a lack of use. "I resigned."

"He offered you the job?"

"No." Hermione replied with a dark chuckle. "He offered me Junior Undersecretary."

Instantly, a fire began to burn deep inside Harry's chest. While Hermione had always been the more logical of the two, even she had pride in the work she did. That pride had clearly taken a hit, regardless of this simply being the result of political maneuvering. As Harry looked the obvious sadness in her eyes, he could tell that her pride had been wounded in a way that was very rare.

"I'm sorry."

"It's fine." Hermione said, her eyes dead to the world. "It's just my life's work."

Suddenly, Harry's previous conversation with Minerva popped into his mind.

"It doesn't have to be."

Hermione's head snapped up to him, a fiery look in her eyes that reminded Harry fiercely of Ginny.

"Where else do you suggest I work, Harry? There isn't a place in England that helps people as much as the Ministry does."

"There is one place." Harry suggested softly. "I happen to know such a place."

"Now is not the time for jokes, Harry." Hermione replied with a sigh.

"I'm not joking." Harry answered honestly.

"Then do tell me: where could such a place be hidden?"

"It's not far." Harry countered cryptically. "In fact, some say that it's just up the hill."

"Up the hill?" Hermione asked as a realization crossed her face. "Harry?"

Harry moved from the chair across from her to the floor in front of her. Taking a deep breath, Harry pushed forward.

"I have found no one in the country who is qualified enough to take the Arithmancy position."

"Harry…."

"Minerva and I had been discussing it earlier today anything." Harry sped forward before she could interrupt. "You would be perfect."

"But who am I helping by coming to Hogwarts, Harry?" Hermione groaned, standing and pacing the room. "There are house elves that still lack the basic rights of a being, let alone a person. Even the Blood Equality Act didn't do everything to balance the scales for those of half or no blood. What good am I accomplishing for the world by choosing to run away to Hogwarts with my tail between my legs?"

"You wouldn't be running away." Harry replied strongly. "Who was it that was always harping on the value of education? Who was it that spent years trying to convince me that learning was an essential part of becoming a more capable member of society? Who spent half of their time as a senior Ministry official attempting to modernize the educational standards in this country?"

"Me." Hermione mumbled, her voice barely audible.

"Yes, Hermione, it was you. I want you to be at Hogwarts with me. There are things about teaching these students that I would never think of. I've been doing this job for five years. At the very least, you taught me for seven."

"You had wonderful professors, Harry." Hermione argued.

"Who I promptly ignored." Harry said with a chuckle. "When I needed to learn for the Triwizard Tournament, I went to you, even after I found out that I could blatantly cheat as often as I wanted. If there is any person that I trust to create a better future for the next generation of magical people, it's you."

"That means a lot." Hermione said as she retook her seat next to him.

"Have you ever considered that instead of fighting this fight on your own, you could train others to join you? You are Hermione Granger, Order of Merlin, First Class. You are the first Muggleborn Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. Students will flock to you. Instead of it being you and me against the world, we can work together and make the future brighter by bringing the best and brightest of the world with us."

Hermione didn't reply to that. Instead, she leaned back against the couch, her mind lost in thought. Harry allowed her to remain that way for a few seconds before bringing up the more sensitive topic for the evening.

"Before you say anything, there is something else I need to ask you." Harry added, obviously very nervous.

"What is it?"

"How much do you know about the murder of Elena King?"

"More than you or the rest of the public knows." Hermione said confidently before she chanced a look at Harry whose face gave him away instantly. "Why? How much do you know?"

"More than I should by any legal measure."

"Who was it?" Hermione growled.

"Kingsley." Harry replied instantly. "Downey told him and he told me."

"I specifically told him to leave you out of this." Hermione grumbled, standing as she once again paced the room, this time her face in her hands. "How much do you know?"

"I know about the Hallows symbol. I know about the Masters of Death."

"That's two more things than I wanted on your plate." Hermione replied. "I told Kathryn and Kingsley to leave you alone. You would look into it when you had other things on your mind."

"Well, they didn't leave me alone." Harry argued as he stood to face her. "I know how she died, Hermione."

Instantly, Hermione stopped pacing and looked up at Harry. Over the last five years, Harry had become an expert in several fields. Most of them were related to his new job as Defense Professor.

But one of those skills, the ability to read Hermione Granger like a book, wasn't related to his job at all. Harry had thought that they had been unable to keep secrets from each others. Two years earlier, Harry had attempted to surprise Hermione with tickets to a Muggle opera for her birthday.

He had told her three days before the event out of guilt when she asked him what he had planned. Instead of telling her the truth, he had feigned forgetting about her birthday.

Twenty minutes later, he told her everything.

He thought that had been a two way street. Obviously, there were things about her job that she couldn't tell him and he had always understood that. But Ginny was a different subject for a number of reasons.

"Hermione." Harry started before he realized that the rest of the words weren't going to come out well.

"Harry, I don't know what to say."

"How much do you know about Ginny's location?" Harry said deliberately, taking a beat to take each word so that he would prevent exploding on the spot.

"More than anyone else does."

"Why?"

"Because I've been hiding her for four years."

Harry collapsed into the chair behind him, completely blown away.

"Four years?" Harry whispered mostly to himself. "How could you keep this from us for four years?"

"Us?"

"Me, Ron, George, the rest of the Weasleys…." Harry rattled off the list of her closest friends and family. "They would have given anything to know where she was."

"That's why I didn't tell you."

"Excuse me?"

"She needed to fulfill her part of the deal."

"Deal?" Harry's ears perked up. "What deal?"

Hermione moved slowly, crossing the room at a snail's pace before sitting on a footrest opposite Harry. Watching her face, Harry could tell that she was being very deliberate about which words she chose, something he couldn't blame her for at the moment.

"About a year after she was imprisoned, I received a letter from a contemporary at the Indian Ministry. They had a problem…"

"What kind of problem?"

"A group of Dark wizards had taken over a small town in the south of the country. Twice, their Aurors had attempted to retake the town with no success. The group was sacrificing the children of the town to create dark and powerful wards."

"Merlin." Harry whispered in horror.

"They wanted you to come and stop them."

"How come I didn't hear about this?"

"Because I came up with an alternative solution." Hermione answered honestly. "I spoke with Kingsley and with several high ranking Wizengamot members. With their permission, I secured Ginny's release from Azkaban. Publicly, we branded it as an escape but that couldn't have been further from the truth."

Unable to face Harry anymore, Hermione stood and went to the window where Harry could see the light of the moon reflecting on her face. She looked sad and beautiful all at once, a reminder of the weight that Harry knew she carried each day.

"For three months, she trained with the best ghosts we have."

"Including Morgan Herbst."

"Yes." Hermione confirmed. "It was his work with Ginny that led me to promote him to Head Auror."

"Wonderful." Harry scoffed.

"When her three months of training were done," Hermione continued, ignoring Harry's comment. "She was sent to India. She went with no cover, no back-up, no resources. Three days later, the Indian Ministry received a letter from an anonymous source, telling them that they could enter the town."

"She liberated the town on her own? How?"

"I don't ask those kind of questions." Hermione said bluntly. "I never questioned her methods."

"Merlin, Hermione, this is terrifying."

"For two years, she operated without cover and without hesitation. She never entered England, preferring to stay at a place in Italy until I called upon her. Then, one day, she went missing."

As Hermione spoke, Harry realized what made Hermione as capable as she was. For years, he had thought that it had been knowledge, skill, cleverness. But now, as Harry watched the love of his life with new eyes, he saw what her real strength was: she was a phenomenal actress. Over the years, the fact that everyone had constantly underestimated her had led her to a place where she could have anything she wanted by acting just slightly dumber than everyone thought she was.

The truth, however, was that she was much smarter than everyone realized. She was brutal, a master tactician and most of all, ruthless in her desire to see the world be a better place.

It was surprising how much she reminded him of Albus Dumbledore in that moment, a thought he did not share aloud.

"Where was she?"

"I never found out exactly. She reappeared four days later as if nothing had happened. It was then that we made our bargain. She was only to operate under my command. If she did that, when I was made Minister of Magic, I would pardon her crimes when she brought new _evidence_ forward on her case."

"Evidence?"

"Nothing." Hermione answered. "I would have forged documents that stated that she had been under the effects of some sort of mind-altering potion. She would be remanded to Azkaban for a period of six months upon her return but after that, she would be free to go for her service to the Ministry."

"That's why you wanted to win so badly."

"Partly." Hermione admitted. "I also believe that I can do good things for this country, Harry. If I didn't, I wouldn't have run, promise to Ginny be damned."

Harry stood and approached Hermione, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her close to him so that he could whisper in her ear.

"Where is she now?"

"She's here, obviously." Hermione stated, confirming what he had already suspected. "Two weeks ago, she had been trailing a lead on a splinter cell from the Masters of Death when she went dark. It wasn't the first time it had happened but it did last the longest. Two weeks from when she went dark until Elena King's body turned up yesterday."

"It was a strangely reckless move for her." Harry considered softly. "Returning to the only place where she is wanted and murdering a Ministry official in the way she did."

"It's like she wanted to be caught." Hermione replied.

"What if she's in too deep? What if she's finally found the thing she can't handle?" Harry asked, grabbing Hermione by the shoulder and turning her around. "Where would she stay if she were here?"

"I don't know, Harry. I intentionally kept her away from here."

"Dammit." Harry growled as he moved away from the window. "I think someone has found her."

"I would agree." Hermione replied. "She had to know that we would have figured out the connection."

"Are you going to do anything about it?" Harry asked harshly.

"I don't know what I can do anymore, Harry." Hermione cried out. "I was losing the Magical Law Enforcement job this morning regardless of what happened."

"I assume he replaced you with Samantha or Tiberius."

"It would seem likely, although I think it is likely that Tiberius simply remains in the Wizengamot."

"Then we tell them."

"What good would it do?"

"They can put their resources into finding her."

"Harry, there's nothing to find. She is a ghost. I have no records on her, I burned every letter I ever sent to her."

"There has to be something we can do!" Harry shouted in frustration.

"There is." Hermione replied calmly. "But there's nothing we can do tonight. You have a big meeting with the school Governors tomorrow. And I….well, if you'll still have me, I have a lot to think about."

Despite all that he had learned about Hermione, his devotion to her and his trust in her never wavered. Nodding slightly, Harry pulled Hermione into a firm embrace.

"Let me know of your decision before I leave tomorrow morning."

"I will, Harry."


	6. Chapter 6

Much like during his time at school, Harry wanted to focus on anything other than Hogwarts when he woke up the next morning. The knowledge that Hermione had been hiding Ginny for years was shocking. However, he could look over that fact when it came to the other pressing issue: Ginny was likely going after a terrorist organization. According to Hermione, she had never attempted to take down something as well organized as the Masters of Death.

Still, Harry had work to do. After a brief conversation with Hermione where she had confirmed her interest in the Arithmancy job, Harry walked back from Hogsmeade to the school to his office, where his meeting with the Governors would take place. Since this was traditionally considered to be a simple meeting, Harry wouldn't be meeting with the entire twelve Governors.

Instead, he would be meeting with the Executive Council of Three, the only elected positions on the Board. Harry was familiar with all of them in three very different ways and he reflected on that as they each arrived independently.

After Minerva had arrived, the first members of the Council had been the Speaker of the Council, Augusta Longbottom. She had been elected to her post three years earlier and was the only member of the Council that Harry was certain sided with him. In fact, she had told him as much during the brief moment they were able to speak at Ron's party on Election Night. Harry knew that she would be vocal in her support of Harry and he only hoped that it would sway the other, more skeptical members.

The second to enter had been the Scribe of the Council, Hugh Brooke. Brooke had been a high ranking member of the Wizengamot prior to accepting his full time position as the Scribe. Brooke was particular for being a member of the Council, considering his widely known stance as a political moderate. He rarely took sides at all, instead preferring to act as a moderator for more partisan governors. Brooke was a short, thin man with snow white hair and a sharply trimmed beard. It was clear that he was a man who meant business and tolerated little when it came to humor.

The final member of the three was the Chancellor, a man Harry had known for almost as long as he had been a wizard. Ever since the Blood Equality Act had passed, it had become illegal to fail to give someone a promotion simply due to their blood history or their beliefs on blood history.

This meant that Arthur Weasley, former Head of the Department of Magical Education, had been due years of promotions. So, by the time Malfoy had been killed, even his daughter's hand in the matter couldn't prevent Arthur from taking the spot.

One year earlier, Arthur had retired from the Ministry to join the Board of Governors at Hogwarts.

Four months later, he had been elected Chancellor, a modern first among the Board.

Strangely enough, it was he who Harry was certain was his greatest opponent in this meeting. Not because he didn't believe Harry could perform the duties of Headmaster, but because he believed that someone with Harry's skill should be out in the world helping rather than hiding behind a desk.

At least, that had been what Ron had said when he had spoken to him about the matter.

With the three Council members present, Harry looked at Minerva and, with a brief nod, sat in the chair _next_ to the Headmaster's desk. Technically, this meeting would approve Harry has Headmaster. It wouldn't do well to make it appear as though the business were already done.

Seeing Harry take his place, Minerva took the Headmaster's Chair and began.

"Thank you for coming." Minerva started shortly as each of them echoed some sort of muttered reply. "We know why we are here. I have made the decision to retire. In doing so, that executes the part in Harry's contract which would allow him to take the position without hesitation."

"As he should." Augusta murmured.

"Kindly wait your turn, Augusta." Brooke smirked before turning back to Minerva. "Continue, please."

"Traditionally, in the event of such a contract being executed, the incoming Headmaster has met with the Council of Three and the former Headmaster to ensure a peaceful transition. That is what we are doing today." Minerva said, finishing her official speech. "Now, I'll be blunt: why are we doing this?"

"It is tradition." Arthur said firmly. "The Board of Governors rarely exercises its authority over the castle. However, it has always been the Governors' place to ensure continuity from one headmaster to the next."

"You're preaching, Arthur." Augusta chuckled. "We all know why we're here. We're here because you and your coalition called this meeting."

"Which we were right to do." Arthur argued before turning to Harry. "My dear boy, do not think that this is any sort of reflection on you."

"Mr. Weasley," Harry started, speaking for the first time. "You are the only public objection this confirmation."

"I am, although I am not the only objection." Arthur agreed. "Of the twelve of us, five objected to the transition."

"However, I will speak for Arthur in saying that I am sure that his reasons are much different from the other four." Brooke interjected smoothly. "Simply put, there are four members of the Board of Governors who find you unfit for the job, a first in the modern era."

"We've only had three Headmasters since 1910 and two of them were Dumbledore and McGonagall." Harry countered. "No one was going to protest those appointments. However, you know the same as I that had the Governors had their chance to give their opinion on Snape, I would not be such an outlier."

"Perhaps." Brooke replied dully. "We will never know unfortunately. Either way, even if you do earn our vote of confidence, the tally of the original vote will be made public. It will not necessarily start you off on a good footing."

"Something I am willing to deal with." Harry said firmly. Harry took a deep breath and relaxed back into his chair. "Let me be frank: As of now, I know that Augusta will vote for me to take the position. Am I correct?"

"You are." Augusta replied. "I cannot think of someone more qualified to take this position."

"Thank you." Harry said with an appreciative smile. "So, this means that you gentlemen are the only reason that we're here. Now, forgive me for the assumption, Mr. Brooke, but I hear that you are a sensible man."

"I believe that to be true, yes."

"That means that you are here because you wanted to hear me out." Harry replied. "You are here to scope me out, as it were."

"More or less."

"What do you think of me?" Harry asked directly.

"That is the question, isn't it, Mr. Potter?" Brooke chuckled. "There's Harry Potter, The Man Who Lived...and then there's Harry Potter, Defense Professor and future Headmaster."

"Possibly." Harry said with a smirk.

"No, I know that you will be Headmaster one day in the same way that your partner, Ms. Granger, will become Minister of Magic one day. If it is something you desire, eventually it will happen simply by the sheer force of your desire. When you are as powerful as you, Mr. Potter, I truly believe that nothing is out of your grasp."

"Quite the compliment."

"It was not meant as such." Brooke replied coldly. "It is neither good nor bad, it simply is. What you do with such influence, that will determine the...quality of your influence."

The rumors around Hugh Brooke were as accurate as possible. Brooke was sharp, cold, to the point and very well spoken. However, he was also a realist, someone aware of the battle that he was fighting. It was rare that someone impressed Harry with a single statement but Brooke's reply had done just that.

"You never really answered my question, Mr. Brooke." Harry observed.

"I did not." Brooke admitted.

"Do you think I am qualified for this position?"

"Traditionally, no."

"What about untraditionally?"

Brooke smiled at the intentionally poor use of words. "You have experience leading. People of all walks of life respect you and you don't abuse that. You've have shown that above all else, you care about your students, something that I find is the only absolute requirement for the position."

That answer satisfied Harry. He nodded respectfully to Brooke, who returned the gesture in kind. With a smile, Harry turned to his last target, the man who Harry had for years thought of as a father.

"Arthur, this means that we're here because of you."

"Hugh may not vote for you, Harry."

"He may not." Harry admitted. "But I would be willing to bet one hundred Galleons that he does."

"Why?"

"Because of everything he just said." Harry reasoned. "Even if his reasons are different from Augusta's, he knows that I will be the one to lead this school. I imagine if I asked for a vote now, I would get the result that I wanted."

"Then why are you bothering with me, Harry?"

"Mr. Weasley, how could you ask that question?" Harry asked, his voice sincere. "You practically raised me. You gave me a home when I didn't have one. You supported me with everything that you had. Your opinion matters more to me than anyone else in the room."

"I know." Arthur choked out, a sad smile on his face. "I am very proud of the man that I see before me today, Harry. I want you to know that."

"Then why are you voting against me becoming Headmaster?"

For a moment, Arthur's eyes faded away, breaking contact with Harry's and falling to the floor. But just a second later, as if bolstered on by some invisible strength, they snapped back to Harry's.

"Because I believe you could be doing so much more."

So Ron's expectation had been the right one. It wasn't that he believed he lacked Arthur's confidence. It was that, in his own mind, Harry was doing the most important thing he could for the world.

"How?"

"You could be leading the Ministry of Magic. You could train Aurors. You could travel the world, fighting the threats that the rest of us are not equipped to fight."

"I never wanted that for my life." Harry countered, hurt flooding into his voice. "You know that. Especially after Fred, after Remus, after Tonks and countless others. After what Ginny did."

"Harry…."

"You are the Chancellor of the Council of Three. You are the elected head of the governing board of this school. How could you not believe that this is important?"

"It is important, Harry." Arthur pleaded. "But there are others that could do it. But there is no one out there that can do what you do. You may not want it for you life but there is little doubt that we may need it."

Harry couldn't believe what he was hearing. The man who had raised him was telling him that he should forget what he wanted for himself and fight for the rest of his life. It was shocking coming from a man who had been so against fighting unless absolutely necessary. Of course, that meant that Arthur thought it was necessary, something that, while still angered him, frightened Harry as well.

However, Harry did have one counter lined up for this.

"What happens when I'm not here anymore?"

"What do you mean?" Arthur asked.

"What happens when I am killed in some foreign land or simply die of old age? What happens then? Who defends the next generation?"

"We'll find someone. We've always found someone."

"Because we had to." Harry pleaded. "We had to find someone to defend us. But what if we didn't have to anymore? What if we raised our next generation to fight only for peace, not greed? What if we raised our children to fight for love, not blood lines or pride?"

"It's a nice sentiment, Harry, but it won't happen. Not entirely."

"Of course not entirely!" Harry shouted, finally standing. "Of course not! But that doesn't mean we shouldn't try! That starts with how we teach them! Sure, I could go out and fight the next two dozen wars that the world is going to throw at me. But what if we tried something else? What if we tried to prevent them, instead of fighting them?"

"How?" Arthur asked weakly.

"By doing exactly what I said." Harry replied plainly. "That's why this is the most important place for me to be. Of all the people out there, I've seen the worst that the world has to offer. I alone am qualified to teach these children what it means to be good in the face of evil and what it means to love in the face of greed and power. Honestly, Arthur, if you don't believe that, then I don't know what I can do to convince you otherwise. This isn't a job for me, Arthur. It is a calling. I have worked my whole life, surviving through the war and after, for this moment. Certainly, I didn't know it at the time but now that it's here, I can't bear to leave it."

For a moment, Harry's mind blocked out the presence of anyone in the room other than himself and Arthur. Just for a few seconds, the only person whose opinion mattered was the man who had loved him like a son of his own.

"Please, please Arthur, let me try. Let me try to help by stopping the wars before they begin, by teaching these children how to work together instead of seeing only the differences among them."

In five years, the name Harry Potter hadn't lost much of its star power among the general population. In that time, the largest question that Harry had gotten was why he chose to remain at Hogwarts instead of doing anything else with his life. Much like Dumbledore before him, he was accused of wasting his ability at a school when he could be doing so much more.

For those five years, Harry had given a list of canned responses. Certainly he meant them but they didn't truly get to the heart of the matter. Only now, with the possibility that his surrogate father may vote against his taking the position, was he able to properly articulate just what working at Hogwarts meant to him. It wasn't money or knowledge or anything like that. It was the fact that he knew deep in his soul that he was the person best equipped to educate his students, not just on spells and potions, but on how to become better people, how to love each other and how to treat everyone with respect.

All these years had passed and Dumbledore was still right: above all else, Harry's ability to love was his greatest strength.

Harry's speech finished, he took his seat as the room remained silent for several moments. Everyone looked at Arthur. Harry knew that this wasn't about his appointment to Headmaster anymore. He would certainly be approved of that.

No, this was about Arthur Weasley. It meant the world that Arthur approve. For just a single point in time, Harry felt that he knew what it was like to have a father and crave the acceptance of a father's approval.

Eventually, the tension in the room broke when Arthur Weasley cracked a smile for the first time during the entire meeting.

"OK, Harry." he said humbly. "You know I came to this meeting with my mind made up. There are very few who can change my mind once I've settled on something, Harry. I'm just glad that you are one of those people."

"As am I, Mr. Weasley." Harry replied, wiping away at the tears forming in his eyes.

Seeing that the vote was decided, Hugh Brooke stood and turned to each member of the Council, who nodded firmly. With a reserved smile, Brooke turned back to Harry.

"Mr. Potter, as Scribe of the Council, it is my duty to relay the results of an official vote taken moments ago. By a unanimous three to nil margin, the Council of Three has approved your appointment to become Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."

"Thank you." Harry whispered softly as Minerva clapped softly next to him.

In this moment, Harry couldn't help but think back to the very first moment of magic he ever remembered witnessing. It was a surprisingly silly moment when Hagrid, an illegal wizard in his own right, added a tail to Dudley's backside. For just a second, Harry had laughed until he realized what he had seen in front of him: the ability to change the world. Of course, in that same moment, he had no idea what lay in front of him.

He had no clue the pain and loss he would endure in the years to come. Harry was certain that magic could only bring joy, never death or destruction. But time and time again, Harry had learned that while magic could indeed bring joy, it also brought death.

It brought pain.

But even through all that pain and hardship, light had always come through. If you had told Harry at age eleven that his dream job would be to become Headmaster at Hogwarts, he would have told you to jump off a broomstick.

Of course, at age eleven, Dumbledore also seemed immortal and irreplaceable. At that time, there was no chance that anyone would ever replace him.

Now, at age twenty-five, Dumbledore was long dead, Minerva was moving on and it was Harry himself who would be stepping into the role of Headmaster at Hogwarts.

At age eleven, he would have thought you had gone 'round the bend, as it were.

At age twenty-five, he couldn't have been happier.

* * *

Unfortunately, happiness didn't always last forever. At Harry's urging, Hermione had asked Ron to come over to the apartment. When Harry returned home, it was obvious that Ron had already been told about Ginny's secret role and Hermione's participation in it.

When Harry walked in the door, Ron was standing near the window, staring out over the main drive in Hogsmeade silently, while Hermione was seated in a chair on the opposite side of the room. The tension in the room was obvious. For several beats, no one said anything.

Finally, Ron spoke, not bothering to turn away from the window.

"How long have you known?" he asked stoically.

"Since last night." Harry replied. "There are things happening at the Ministry that pointed to her potential involvement. When I got home last night, I asked Hermione about it."

"So she kept it from both of us." Ron growled.

"She did." Harry replied, ignoring Hermione for the moment, approaching Ron at the window. "But what else would you have asked her to do?"

"She could have told us."

"Maybe. But what would you have done if she had told you?"

Ron's silence was telling. Even when Ron didn't know the answer to something, he had a rather poor tendency to try and say something. This time, however, Ron simply stared.

"I don't like it either, Ron. I wish I had known but there's nothing we could have done. If she had told us and someone had asked us about it, we would have either had to lie or tell them."

"But that would have been our choice to make."

Harry conceded that point to Ron as he turned to look back at Hermione, who looked noticeably upset. For most of the night, Harry had fumed at the thought that Hermione had kept this information from him and Ron. But as the morning hit and Harry finally slept, his rage subsided. It had happened and that was that. There certainly wasn't any use in being upset any longer.

All they could do was move forward.

"Ron, I know you're mad but we have to keep this about Ginny."

"You're right, Harry. I am mad and it's about Ginny. That's why I'm mad!" Ron shouted, turning toward Harry. "My sister has been out in the world for years now. I thought she was running out there, hiding from the law. You don't think it would have been nice to know that there was someone looking out for her."

"Ron-" Hermione whispered before getting cut off.

"Do you know how terrified we've been, Hermione?" Ron asked, now ignoring Harry entirely. "Our sister murdered someone. Was Malfoy a slimy little git? Sure! But our laws don't give a slimy, little git discount and they're even less forgiving when you break out of prison!"

"Ron-" Hermione's voice was weaker this time, as if she knew she stood no chance at breaking through.

"Every time I open the Prophet, I expect to see something about her capture. I expect to see her being dragged through the old Ministry building to the courtroom where they punish her to death for her crimes. When _you_ punish her for her crimes….." Ron finally stopped, really hitting at the heart of his problem. "It was always going to involve you in someway. We just expected that you were going to have to do your job. Our laws are very clear on what happens to convicts who escape from Azkaban."

"That would still happen if she was ever caught, Ron."

"Yes, but the difference is that she has you, the very person who is supposed to be out there looking for her, on her side. She has you protecting her. How could we not feel better knowing that the most brilliant witch in Britain is protecting her? Even if you didn't tell us what she was doing, just letting us know that she was safe and that you had an eye on her."

"She's not a child." Hermione said firmly. "She doesn't need anyone looking out for her."

"Maybe not. But when the world is literally hunting her, it would be nice to know that the hunt is just a little bit rigged."

"I could have lost my job if I had told you, Ron. Even if you had sworn yourself to secrecy, there are too many variables where you would be forced to lie about it. But even worse than me losing my job, telling you would have put Ginny at risk. The less people that knew what she was doing, the more effective she could be."

"On that, we'll have to agree to disagree." Ron scoffed, flipping back to the window with a huff. As Harry silently turned back to the window, he had to admit that he didn't know who to agree with in this situation. Certainly he trusted Hermione to keep Ginny safe above anyone else.

But still, the fact that she had kept this from her two best friends begged the question: What else was Hermione hiding?

* * *

Harry pushed his way through the old Ministry offices, hardly acknowledging the world around him. It was the way Harry was forced to go through the world. In years passed, Harry would have had to consciously ignore those around him. Now, Harry was confident enough to simply allow the world around him to continue turning, knowing that people would always point and stare at the Man Who Lived.

When Harry reached the office of the Head of the Aurors, Harry didn't even bother knocking, simply pushing the door open to see that he was indeed expected.

"Headmaster." Kathryn Downey said as she looked up from a file that she had been reading. "I hear congratulations are in order."

"That just happened this morning. News gets out this fast?"

"I have a good relationship with one of the editors over at the Prophet. They send me an advance of the next day's paper the evening before it hits stands. They paint a good picture of the future of Hogwarts."

"I hope to make it a reality." Harry said with a small grin. "I'm sure you know I'm not here to talk about Hogwarts."

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Kathryn replied knowingly.

"Yesterday, I was greeted by a certain former Minister of Magic who had more...interesting details on the murder of Elena King." Harry said firmly. "Details that may put a friend of mine in danger."

"I can't discuss the details of an active murder investigation, Headmaster." Kathryn said, her voice giving a very official tone. "You should know that from your time as an Auror."

"My time as an Auror was a joke." Harry laughed. "So what can you tell me?"

"Unprompted, I can tell you nothing. Even if you ask, there will still be plenty that I can't tell you, even with the information that you do know."

"How much do you know about Ginny Weasley's deal with former Department Head Hermione Granger?"

"Enough." Kathryn answered firmly. "I am aware of its existence but anything beyond that is above my paygrade."

"Are you aware of the work that Ginny has been doing?"

"Headmaster, I am the head of all police actions carried out by _official_ Ministry actors, both here and abroad. Even if Miss Granger had not deigned to inform me of Miss Weasley's actions, which she did, it would have taken only the most minimal amount of effort over the course of one afternoon to discover what Miss Weasley had been up to for the last few years."

"Fair enough." Harry replied, confident that he had gotten all he was going to get from Kathryn on that end. "What do you know about the Masters of Death?"

"Something I can actually talk about." Kathryn smirked before levitating a file over to Harry. "The Masters of Death were formed in the late 1930s. Originally, they were their own group, modeled after Grindelwald while he hid in America. However, when he returned, he made them his closest advisors. Much like the Inner Circle of Riddle's Death Eaters, these were to be Grindelwald's small council when he successfully took over the world. During Grindelwald's slow march across Europe, they were the leaders of his army, attacking Muggle settlements left and right. They were left almost entirely unchecked by the Ministry of the continent."

"Why was it so easy for Grindelwald to gain control?"

"Because he had disappeared from Europe for a rather long period of time in the mid-twenties. For nearly a decade, his actions slipped entirely under the radar of most of the wizarding governments around the world. Only the MACUSA in America seemed to have a good grip on him and were able to successfully banish him from the country."

"So, Dumbledore and Grindelwald get into the duel to end all duels in 1945. Grindelwald is tried and convicted for his actions." Harry says aloud, reciting the bit of history that he knew about the Dark Wizard. "What happened to the Masters of Death?"

"One of them, Alexander Wilson, was found guilty of his crimes and sentenced to life in prison." Kathryn whispered. "He was an American citizen who had joined Grindelwald at the very beginning of his reign of terror.."

"And the rest?"

"Hamill took their identities to his grave and no one has ever been able to successfully get the names from Grindelwald himself."

The thought of Grindelwald's most powerful followers simply disappearing back into society sickened Harry. Certainly a similar thing had happened with Voldemort's followers after his first fall but Grindelwald had certainly been a threat to a larger population than Voldemort had been.

"So we have no idea who they were?"

"There were theories, accusations. But nothing that could stick." Kathryn answered. "One German man whose identity was never publicly revealed was tried but the charges disappeared before the verdict was rendered. People were certain that whoever he was, he either paid or intimidated his way out of the crime."

"Wonderful." Harry snapped. "So these people remained free. They're still out there."

"Well, they are likely dead now. In fact, we're almost certain that the Masters of Death are run by the descendants of the original Masters. However, with there being three or four generations since then, it's not a particularly short list of possibilities considering that Grindelwald attracted followers from almost every country in Europe."

Harry stood and began pacing the room. The thought of a secret society dedicated to completing the work of Gellert Grindelwald terrified Harry. But one question still remained.

"It's been decades since he was captured. Why have they not moved since then?"

"Well, for most of the fifties and sixties, they had to have gone underground. The paranoia that people felt about Grindelwald was incredibly intense. At that point, I imagine that with the exception of the few die hard family members, most of the members of the Masters left and faded away."

"Or were killed for trying." Harry added. "So their numbers dwindled. You're telling me they have spent the several _decades_ trying to rebuild their numbers."

"Either that or they found another way." Kathryn replied before pointing to a folder on the corner of her desk. "That's the file on every person who was suspected of being a Master. Most of them were relatively high ranking officials in their respective country."

Suddenly, Kathryn reached into her desk and pulled out another, much larger file.

"This is the file on all of their descendants. It is simply amazing the number of high level officials and foreign dignitaries are in this file."

"You believe that they're trying to infiltrate the governments at their highest levels?"

"Almost." Kathryn replied. "I believe we're witnessing a split among the Masters themselves. Two teams: one dedicated to promoting their ideals through a slow and deliberate takeover of the European Ministries."

"And the other team dedicated to forcing a war between Muggles and Magic." Harry finished softly. "The team responsible for the recent attacks on wizards by Muggles."

Slowly, Kathryn stood and made her way around her desk to sit in the chair next to Harry. While Kathryn was by no means a young woman, she looked remarkably aged and tired as Harry saw her up close.

"In the twenties, during his disappearance, there were rumors of an attack on New York City. The Americans covered it up but there were some people that slipped through that cover up." Kathryn said as she placed a file into Harry's hands. "According to our source at the time, Grindelwald was hiding as a Senior Auror with the MACUSA. He was using that position to search for something, some dark magic."

"What kind of dark magic?"

"The British Ministry has never been able to officially confirm it. However, we are aware that famed magizoologist Newt Scamander was present for the duration of the attack. He may know something."

"So might Grindelwald." Harry countered.

"You can't speak to him."

"Can't I?" Harry chuckled.

"Really, you can't. The German Ministry hasn't let anyone near him in the entirety of the time that he's been imprisoned there."

"They can make an exception."

"They won't."

"Fine." Harry scoffed although it was instantly clear to Harry that Kathryn didn't believe that he had dropped it. "What?"

"Headmaster, you have quite a reputation for someone who has a certain disregard for the rules."

"Been reading some of Snape's reports on me, I see." Harry smirked.

"Not at all. I received that bit of information from Miss Granger herself." Kathryn replied with a smile. "I won't speak any more on the subject. If you end up doing something reckless, I don't want to know anything about it."

"Deniability is certainly better for you in this situation." Harry remarked as he stood. "Thanks again for the information, Kathryn."

"I'm glad I was able to help, Headmaster."

"Please call me Harry." he replied. "You've had dinner at my house."

"Trust me, I would if I could. But Ministry regulation specifically states-"

"To hell with Ministry regulation." Harry interrupted.

"Unfortunately, as the Head of the Aurors, it is my job to uphold those regulations."

"Always the stickler, aren't you?"

"Unfortunately, yes." Kathryn answered as she stood to shake Harry's hand. "For what it's worth, I hope you find her before they do. She may have killed someone but I'm fairly certain that Azkaban wasn't the place for her."

Harry didn't have a particular thought on that. Some had thought that Ginny would be better helped by going to St. Mungo's. Others had argued she was too dangerous and belonged in the darkest cell in Azkaban. While they had eventually compromised for a regular cell in Azkaban, Harry had never been certain how he felt about that punishment for her.

Of course, he had been hiding in the woods during her trial, attempting to process just what had happened to his life. It was possible that his own testimony may have helped her. It was a question that Harry would always ask himself.

"Thanks." Harry said, taking Kathryn's outstretched hand.

"Anytime."


	7. Chapter 7

Two weeks into August passed without any additional incident. No mysterious deaths or messages from Ginny Weasley. No mention of the cult who wished to see the dreams of Gellert Grindelwald come true. In fact, as the school year began to draw closer, Harry's attention was drawn further away from the mystery of the murder that Ginny had committed and to the task of running an active show.

So, on the twenty-fifth of August, Harry called the first official staff meeting of the new year, gathering all of his professors for the first time under his leadership. As Harry looked out over the crowd of people gathered there, he was nervous for the first time about taking this job. The witches and wizards assembled were among the finest in the world.

It was Harry's job to lead them. Thankfully, that was one of his finer skills and it made Harry feel just a bit better as he began the meeting.

"First and foremost, I would like to thank all of you for coming today." Harry said, his voice shaking ever so slightly. "This is a day that I never dreamed would happen, getting to be the Headmaster at my first true home."

Harry took a moment to look at the far end of the staff room's long table where his immediate predecessor sat. This would be the first time in the school's thousand year history that a Headmaster would resign their position and yet still remain at the school. Thankfully, Minerva McGonagall was among his most passionate supporters and was certainly going to be a great resource for Harry.

"For those of you who are new, thank you for joining us on the wonderful ride that is a school year at Hogwarts. For my returning colleagues, I hope your summers were productive and I'm glad to see you." Harry said with a grin towards some of his more tenured professors who remained toward the back of the room. "Before we begin, I would like to introduce everyone briefly. We'll be starting with our House Heads first."

Harry waved to the back of the room where his four Heads stood, calling them to the front. Reluctantly, each professor made their way to stand next to Harry at the front of the room.

"For Hufflepuff House and our Astronomy Professor, this is Susan Bones. This is Susan's third year at Hogwarts and first as a House Head."

Hiring Susan had been one of Harry's best decisions as Deputy Headmaster. When Professor Aurora had decided to retire three years earlier, Harry had been forced to find someone new. Several very qualified candidates applied but they all seemed to lack a certain passion for the job.

Then Susan Bones had walked into his office. He was very familiar with Susan from their time together at school. However, he had been completely unaware that Susan had spent nearly every day after graduating from Hogwarts completing her education in Astronomy. It had been clear that she was not quite as accomplished as the other candidates but she wanted the job at Hogwarts with every fiber of her being.

It had been a long fight with Minerva to take her over the other candidates but after nearly two months, Harry had eventually persevered.

"Teaching Charms and acting as Head of Ravenclaw House is Sarah Fawcett. This is Sarah's fifth year at Hogwarts and her second as Head of House."

On the other hand, Harry had barely known Sarah. He remembered her only from the time that she had been caught with someone in the bushes at the Yule Ball by Snape. However, Sarah was a remarkably talented witch who had started teaching at Hogwarts almost the very minute she graduated from the school in some capacity or another.

"Angelina Johnson is our Potions Master and Head of Gryffindor. She has taught for five years and been a Head of House for four years." Harry said with a grin at Angelina. "Finally, our new Deputy Headmaster, Head of Slytherin House and Transfiguration Professor is Gemma Fairley. Gemma has been teaching at Hogwarts for ten years and has been Head of Slytherin House for five."

Over the long history of the school, there had been a number of firsts. However, until this very day, there had never been a Headmaster and Deputy Headmaster from Gryffindor and Slytherin Houses. Every other combination had been explored at some point over the years, although most Headmasters did seem to favor Deputies that had belonged to the same house as them.

However, Harry was nothing if not different from the rest of the Headmasters in the history of Hogwarts. One of Harry's main goals was to ensure that Slytherin House was no longer viewed as the house of Dark wizards. In his opinion, the best way to do that was to publicly show that there was nothing to fear from having a Slytherin as a friend and colleague. Harry had not been wrong when he had said that Gemma was intense. The comparison between herself and Minerva was not one that many missed.

However, Gemma was one of the most studied professors that Hogwarts had ever seen at her age. She spent most of her summers overseas, continuing her education so as to better teach her students. Gemma was constantly invited to school around the world to give lectures on the study of Transfiguration.

She was by far the most qualified candidate for the position of Deputy Headmaster and Harry had made the choice without a second thought.

"Thank you all." Harry said with a brief round of applause. "Now, for the rest of our returning professors, could you please stand when I call your name? Padma Patil, now teaching Defense. Neville Longbottom, Herbology. Marcus Belby, Flying. Luna Lovegood, Care of Magical Creatures. Dennis Creevey, Muggle Studies. Minerva McGonagall, History of Magic. Sybil Trelawney, Divination."

The return of Trelawney had been a rather contentious subject with Minerva and the Heads of Houses. Most of them had wanted the subject to be dropped entirely. Sarah in particular had lobbied hard to eliminate the subject from the school's curriculum altogether.

However, Harry had stood his ground. The class would no longer be offered as a normal elective. Instead, only those students that seemed to possess any sort of Sight would be invited to take the class. This way, Sybil Trelawney never got someone like Hermione Granger in her class ever again.

"To our new staff, if you have questions, this is who you should go to first, especially as the school year continues." Harry informed them. "While I was a professor for a few years, many of these people have been doing this longer than I have. Use your fellow staff as a sounding board and as a guide on how to become excellent educators. Now, I would like to introduce our newest additions, both of whom I know very well."

Harry walked to the side of the table where the eldest Weasley brother sat, his hair cut short for the first time in years.

"Bill Weasley will be taking up the subject of Ancient Runes. Bill has a long history as a curse breaker with the Ministry and with Gringotts. He is also a world renowned expert on runes and wards. His work warding various locations during The Second Wizarding War were essential to keeping important places like Grimmauld Place and The Burrow a safe haven from the Death Eaters. I have no doubt that Bill will be a fantastic asset for this school."

Leading the applause that followed, Harry turned and looked at Hermione, who was already blushing profusely.

"I believe you all know Hermione Granger. With my promotion, that left the Defense job open, a position that Padma graciously filled. Unfortunately, Padma was previously our Arithmancy professor, which simply shifted an opening. For months, I thought that we were going to have to suspend the Arithmancy program as I could not find anyone to take the job. Then, Minerva suggested Hermione."

Harry couldn't help but chuckle as the room burst into laughter.

"Yes, I know. I didn't think of her." Harry laughed aloud. "To be fair, she was busy at the time. However, with the election come and gone, our Ministry decided to make some changes."

"You mean the Minister decided to make some changes." Angelina interjected.

"Who decided to make the changes is unimportant. What is important is that it opened our generation's greatest witch up to new opportunities. Opportunities like joining our staff here at Hogwarts and passing on her vast knowledge to the next generation. Considering my known relationship to her, it was a no brainer to ask Hermione and I know that she will prove her value to us all time and time again."

Tears formed in the corner of Hermione's eyes as the room once again broke into applause. Harry knew just how special this day was for Hermione. This was a place where Hermione's intelligence would never again be treated as a liability. Here, she was not only encouraged but expected to stretch her mind as often as she could to assist in new learning opportunities for her students.

It was a match made in heaven and Harry couldn't have been happier.

For the next hour or so, Harry went through the basics of the teaching guidelines, the basic expectations and the changes from previous years' rules and regulations. When that was over, Harry allowed his staff to return to their classrooms so that they could begin planning for the start of term, which was a short five days away.

However, as Harry went to exit the room, he was interrupted by Angelina who stepped in front of him.

"Do you have a moment?" Angelina asked softly. "Both you and Hermione."

"Sure." Harry said uncertainly as he motioned for Hermione to follow him.

Angelina led the pair of them around the corner and towards the entrance to Harry's office. Suddenly, the griffin in front of Harry's office moved aside and Harry was found staring at his red-headed best friend.

"Ron? What are you doing here?" Hermione asked in shock.

"We have something we want to tell you. The both of you." Ron said nervously. Harry had every reason to be legitimately worried. Since the war, almost nothing had bothered Ron. So, if he was worried, then you should be too.

"What is it?" Harry asked with concern.

For a moment, Ron and Angelina looked at each other as if silently battling to determine who would be the one to break the news. Finally, Ron burst into a huge smile and turned back towards Harry and Hermione.

"We're getting married!" Ron bellowed, his voice ringing through the vacant halls.

It took Harry just a second to process what exactly had been said. In that time, Hermione jumped forward into Ron's arms, pulling him into a crushing embrace. Just then, Harry realized exactly what was going on and grabbed Angelina, following Hermione's lead.

When Ron and Hermione pulled apart, Harry motioned a congratulations to Angelina before turning to Ron. Instantly, Ron put a hand out, as if Harry was supposed to shake his hand. Laughing, Harry pushed the hand aside and once again, pulled Ron with a massive hug.

Leaning forward, Harry whispered in Ron's ear.

"About damn time."

"It took some nerves, mate." Ron chuckled as they broke apart. "We have something else to ask you."

"Really?"

"Yes." Angelina answered as she looked to Hermione. "We would like you to officiate the service."

"Me? But I dated Ron. Isn't that a little weird?" Hermione asked in a panic.

"It's in the past, Hermione." Angelina insisted. "You are one of Ron's closest friends and mine as well. We couldn't think of anyone else who we would want more."

Out of the corner of his eye, Harry saw movement before he felt the firm fist of Ron Weasley punch him in the shoulder.

"Best man?" Ron asked like a troll.

"If I have to." Harry said with a gaping grin, trolling Ron in return.

"You do. Otherwise, Mum will murder you."

"Fair enough." Harry replied as he took Ron and Angelina by the shoulder. "I'm so happy for you. Come by the apartment tonight, we'll celebrate."

"It might be late. We haven't told either of our families yet."

"Who have you told?" Hermione asked.

"As of now, there are only four people that know." Ron answered.

"And we're two of them." Angelina continued, confirming what Harry had suspected.

"We were the first people you told?" Hermione asked.

"We're honored." Harry smiled.

"You should be." Ron replied, a grin the size of a Quidditch pitch plastered onto his face.

* * *

Time continue to press on towards the first of September and as it did, Harry felt the pressure of the task before him start to build.

It wasn't that Harry felt he was incapable of performing the job given to him. Harry's greatest fear was that he would be average. Being The Boy Who Lived, great things were always expected of him. To be honest, barring some monumental mistake that led to some great scandal, Harry couldn't imagine a way that he would be bad at being Headmaster.

Even if he was bad, he would still be _Harry Potter_ bad, the kind of bad that makes people popular and famous. It wouldn't be something that Harry would wish for. But to Harry, that seemed unlikely.

No, the most likely terrible scenario for being Headmaster was that he was simply average. No terrible tragedy, no bone-headed mistakes, nothing that grabbed headlines or made attention. Instead, Harry would simply become another in the long line of Headmasters who were remembered for other things or not at all.

In a century, when people looked back on the long life of Harry Potter and the many things he had done, he wanted to be remembered for Hogwarts most of all. Not that he was a friend and lover to Hermione Granger, future Minister of Magic. Not that he was the pupil of Albus Dumbledore and Minerva McGonagall.

Harry wanted to be remembered for being one of the greatest Headmasters in the history of the most prestigious wizarding school in the world. Rarely did Harry think about his own legacy. He found that it prevented him from seeing the world in the present, instead distracting him by looking at the past and future while ignoring what was in front of him.

But on the rare moments when he did think about it, this was what he was confronted with. The knowledge that the results of his life would ultimately be condensed down into footnotes by the history books.

The question was which of those footnotes would be the headline and which would be simply another fact buried in the lede?

As Harry pondered these questions, just two days before the start of term, a letter fell on his desk. It wasn't uncommon for Harry to receive mail these days. Quite the opposite, in fact.

However, it was still rare for Harry to receive mail bearing the insignia of the Minister of Magic. Cautiously, Harry opened the letter and read it.

_Dear Headmaster,_

_I would like to congratulate you on your appointment to your new post. I have no doubt that you and I will do great things working side-by-side for the betterment of our future generations._

_I wish to sit down with you to discuss some lingering concerns I have over Hogwarts School of Magic. If it isn't too much trouble, please stop by my office today around five._

_Amos Diggory  
Minister of Magic_

Harry recognized a political tactic when he saw one. If Harry had been someone of his age taking this post, there is no way that Amos would have dared to order him to his office at a specific time without discussing it with him in the first place.

As Harry grabbed a pen, he realized this was his first true action as Headmaster. At least the first one that could have truly public ramifications. Still, Harry would not tolerate being pushed around, even by the wizarding head of government. In their world, the Headmaster of Hogwarts was a position of cooperation and respect. Very few people had the audacity to order a sitting Headmaster around, even as the Minister of Magic.

Apparently, Amos Diggory was one of them.

Still, Harry couldn't be too combative from the start or otherwise risk the ire of a sitting Minister of Magic. Like it or not, Harry was going to have to work with Amos for the foreseeable future and this meant toeing the line to a certain degree.

Quickly, Harry scratched out a reply.

_Amos,_

_I would love to sit down with you. Unfortunately, I must put the needs of my school first and since I have much work to do with my staff this evening before the start of term, I must decline your invitation._

_However, I am available to meet now in my office, should you care to visit. If not, I am sure that we can arrange something for a few days from now._

_My apologies,  
Harry J. Potter  
Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Magic_

Quickly, Harry tapped his wand against the paper, magically sending it to the Owlery where it would be sent to the Ministry via the same system that had sent the message to Harry in the first place.

Now, Harry would wait. He would have an answer of some sorts in just a few minutes.

As Harry waited for a reply, Harry couldn't help but wonder if had been too bold. Nothing he had told Amos was untrue but he could have met with him at his office on another day if Amos wished it. Unfortunately, it was too late to wonder such a thing.

Thankfully, the wait was cut short when just two minutes later, one of the portraits above the wall spoke out.

"The Minister of Magic, Amos Diggory, kindly requests an audience with you, sir."

"By all means." Harry said, standing as Amos Diggory came bounding through the fireplace just moments later.

"Harry, my boy!" Amos bellowed as he leaned forward to shake Harry's hand. The attempt at camaraderie bothered Harry for several reasons. First, it was agonizingly fake for a man who still held a grudge for the death of his son over a decade earlier. Second, the word _boy_ instantly placed Harry on a lower level. Third, it gave off the impression that Harry liked Amos, something that couldn't have been further from the true.

So, it was with great reluctance that Harry didn't curse him into oblivion, smiled with a tight jaw and replied courteously.

"Minister, it's a pleasure. I am sorry for creating such an inconvenience for you." Harry said, acting the part that he knew Amos wanted him to play: the stupid, naive child who needed led by the hand. "I am new at this after all."

"No offense taken." Amos replied, a little too joyfully for Harry's taste.

"Great. Please, sit." Harry said, indicating the chair across from Harry's desk.

"Thank you." Amos replied, sitting as he continued. "I am glad that we can have these meetings."

"You said that there were things about the school that you wished to discuss."

"There is." Amos answered.

"How is the investigation going by the way?" Harry asked suddenly.

The investigation in question was the one that the Wizengamot had begun once the news of foul play in the death of Morgan Herbst was accused. While Harry knew there was no way that they have nailed him for anything, it would always be a black mark on his second term as Minister of Magic. The fact that Hermione and Tiberius, who had remained as Head of the Wizengamot, were due to be prime witnesses in the case was just icing on the cake.

"Ah, yes, that." Amos stuttered. "Well, it isn't going as well as I had hoped. Miss Granger was quite aggressive during that last debate and said somethings that she shouldn't have."

"That is your opinion." Harry remarked simply.

"Yes, it is." Amos growled sternly.

"Anyway, you had things about the school you wished to talk about. How did we get on that topic anyway?" Harry asked, feigning stupidity.

"You brought it up."

"That's right." Harry replied with a giant grin. "I do apologize for that. Politics are not my strong suit. Anyway, what did you have for me?"

Harry could tell that he was already pressing Diggory's buttons. Amos Diggory had created the reputation for himself that he was a hard-charging, tough as dragonhide, no nonsense, fire-breathing, acid spitting monster of a Minister. No one spoke to him casually for fear of being reprimanded and firmly reminded of their place in the world.

But Diggory knew that wouldn't work with Harry, much like it hadn't worked with Hermione. The reason was simple: they had seen the worst in the world and knew that Amos Diggory was far from it. It meant that instead of being a hippogriff in an apothecary, he had to "play the game," something that he was very uncomfortable with.

And something that Harry was well equipped to handle after dealing with Umbridge and Snape for years. He hadn't always dealt with the pair of them well while he was in school. However, hindsight being what it was, Harry was confident that he had learned a great deal about the art of political maneuvering.

"Since the war ended, the Ministry has had a wonderful working relationship with Hogwarts, something we can thank Minerva for." Amos said, an excited grin on his face. "However, the Ministry feels that the fact that it lacks any sort of oversight into the operation of the school is a mis-step."

"Do you?" Harry asked simply.

"Of course. It is my job as Minister to ensure the best for all magical beings within our country. How can I do that if I am kept from being able to exercise my best judgement when it comes to the only school in England?"

If Amos had been able to see inside Harry's mind at that moment, he would have seen a picture bathed in fire, a rage building inside of him. Rarely had the Ministry attempted to intercede at Hogwarts, Umbridge notwithstanding. The fact that Amos had the audacity to come in and outright suggest that he should be able to "exercise his best judgement" over the school made Harry's blood boil.

"What about my judgement, Minister?" Harry asked innocently.

"Son,-"

"Headmaster." Harry interrupted coldly.

"Pardon me?"

Harry felt the pressure building in his ears from his overwhelming desire to curse Diggory. Thankfully, Harry had learned restraint in his years as a Professor at Hogwarts.

"I'm not your son, Minister." Harry said, his voice kept even with practice. "I know I do not have to remind you that I am the Headmaster of this school, like Albus Dumbledore and Minerva McGonagall before me. I ask that you show me the same respect you would have showed them." Harry said, forcing himself to sound as polite as possible.

"Of course, Headmaster." Amos replied quickly. "I meant no disrespect."

"I'm sure you didn't." Harry answered, resisting the urge to roll his eyes. "Now, I ask again: what about my judgement?"

"I am certain, Headmaster, that your judgement is fine."

"Then why would you feel the need to exercise your judgement?" Harry replied evenly.

Harry could tell that he had pushed Diggory into a corner. Now, all Harry to do was wait and see if Diggory would lash out or seek to sneak his way out of the corner.

"Because as an elected official, that is the task given to me by those who voted for me."

"You were elected to operate the government, not a school. I imagine that if we held an election for that, neither of us would have a job." Harry said with a chuckle, knowing that Hermione or Minerva would win that hypothetical election hands down.

"Part of my job as Minister includes the oversight of all departments of the Ministry. The Department of Magical Education is in charge of observation at Hogwarts and I supervise them."

"Then why am I hearing from you?"

"I don't understand the question."

"The Department of Magical Education is in charge of ensuring that Hogwarts follows mandates set forward by the Ministry. If they believed that we were doing a poor job, they would send someone. Instead, I get you."

"Watch your tone, Headmaster." Amos shot back in warning.

"My apologies." Harry replied, working hard to keep from mocking him. "Still, you must have some personal stake in this if you are circumventing one of your own departments to discuss your personal concerns with me instead of with your own department."

Harry was pleased to see that Amos was struggling to keep his voice in check. As it was, the hands on both arms of the chair were clenched, veins popping out of them.

"People voted for me so that I could express my opinions, Professor." Amos explained, his voice almost ragged. "My opinions on everything, including what is going on at Hogwarts."

"Well I didn't vote for you, Minister." Harry said plainly.

"Clearly." Diggory growled before he finally boiled over. Quickly, he stood and made to go to the fireplace. He spoke as he walked away. "Headmaster, I am going to be plain with you: tomorrow morning, I am asking the Wizengamot to order you to accept an observer at this school."

When Diggory had mentioned wanting to exercise his own judgement, Harry thought that he was speaking in that manner just to intimidate him. Knowing that he intended to interfere directly, that was an entirely different animal.

"What?" Harry asked in shock.

"The fact that the Ministry has no say in the operation of this school is simply unacceptable."

"Hogwarts operates under the direction given to us by the Department of Magical Education, a department you run by virtue of being Minister of Magic. Also, you don't have the right to do that without authorization from the review board at the Department of Magical Education, not after what Fudge tried with Umbridge which sounds awfully similar to what you're doing now, Diggory."

"Are you intending to deny my request, Potter?" Diggory replied, any pretense of respect gone from the room.

"You know that I would be well within my right to do so." Harry countered, a sudden realization hitting him.

That was exactly what Diggory wanted. He wanted Harry to overreact. If Harry did that, it would make him look young, inexperienced. It might even cause the Governors to backtrack on their support of him.

The largest question was why. Why would Diggory attempt to set Harry up in such a way? It couldn't be related to Cedric. There were dozens of other ways to get at Harry if revenge was Amos' motive.

This wasn't revenge, it was a political maneuver.

"Then, by all means, deny the request, _Headmaster."_ Amos replied swiftly, a grim smile crossing his face.

Harry knew that he needed to think quickly. If he let Amos leave on this note, he would have beaten Harry soundly and there would be no way for Harry to get out of it without looking weak.

So, Harry did what he did so rarely: he took the low road.

"Would you consider not requesting an advisor in the first place?" Harry replied smoothly.

"Why would I do that?" Amos asked. "I believe that I need someone here to ensure that the education of each and every student is to the quality that _I_ expect."

"Because if you don't rescind that motion, then I will sit and wait for two years until a new election can be called. Once that can be called, I will throw every cent that I have into ensuring that you lose the next election, even I have to run myself."

The look on Amos' face when Harry suggested that he would run for Minister of Magic confirmed Harry's suspicions. Ultimately, Amos viewed Harry as a threat to his own office, the person most likely to take him down. Amos wasn't wrong. If Harry decided to run, it was highly likely that the only person that may have been able to beat him in a race was Hermione herself.

"You have no interest in being Minister." Amos replied, his voice shaking ever so slightly.

"Don't I?" Harry asked slyly.

"You don't." Amos repeated. Harry wasn't sure if he was attempting to convince Harry or himself.

"If you truly believe that, then go ahead and make the motion tomorrow." Harry said flippantly. "If you don't, then we can make a deal."

"Deal? What deal?"

"We'll appoint an observer." Harry said calmly, knowing that would instantly attract Amos' attention. "However, when you report it to the Prophet, you will say that I requested one to ensure that Hogwarts and the Ministry remained on the same page."

"What? I would nev-"

"I'm not done yet." Harry snapped coldly, which caused Amos to shut up instantly. Harry stood and made his way around his desk, stalking slowly towards the Minister of Magic like a predator hunting its prey. "You will give me a list of people who you would suggest as the observer. From that list, I will choose the observer that I want. If you don't give me someone that you know I will accept, then I go to the Prophet and inform them you attempted to strong arm me into accepting an advisor."

Harry looked at the look of horror on Diggory's face and couldn't help but laugh internally.

"This observer is just that: an observer. They will hold no power within the castle. They will be privy to no staff meetings, no private meetings between myself and the staff and under no circumstances will they disobey a direct order from myself or my Deputy Headmaster. Finally, they can be ordered from this office at any time for any reason. If you can accept that, then I think we're in business."

Harry took a final step forward so that his face was just inches away from Diggory. It meant that Harry could speak at a level just above a whisper.

"Don't mistake me for Dumbledore or even Minerva, Minister." Harry said. "I don't want to fight with you but I think we both know who holds the power of public opinion in this room. Now, what do you say to my _request_?"

Harry knew that Amos would accept this deal. Ultimately, he would view it as a foot in the door, something to get him going. Also, he couldn't risk the knowledge that Harry would run if he fought him too hard.

"If I do this, you don't run?" Amos asked.

"You make that request and I _guarantee_ that I will run." Harry said simply. "Keeping yourself in _my_ good graces will go a long way for you, Amos. You are right when you said that I don't want to be Minister. But if I think that you're doing a terrible job or if you continue to try and interfere here at Hogwarts, I will commit all of my considerably vast resources to ensure that the next job you get is selling textbooks at Flourish and Blott's. Do we have an understanding, Amos?"

The look on Amos' face was priceless. If it hadn't been seen as gloating, Harry would have pulled out a camera and taken a photo right then and there. As it was, he would have to settle for the memory of Amos getting up, putting his hat back on and turning back to Harry, his hands visibly shaking with rage.

"I will send you the list once I am back to the office." Amos said, his eyes burning a hole into the floor.

"Please do that. I look forward to working with you in the future." Harry replied, returning to the jovial version of himself that he had been at the beginning of the meeting.

"Go to hell." Diggory replied before turning and disappearing into the fireplace with a single green burst of flame.

* * *

Dinner at Hogwarts was always a special affair but the Opening Feast of the year was truly a sight to behold. As the new first years filed in, they gawked at the ceiling and the floating candles, some pointing to the moving portraits and ghosts hovering above the Head Table.

Even those students who came from wizarding families were left in awe at the wonder of Hogwarts' Great Hall. It was part of what made Harry's job so wonderful. Every year, he was reminded of his first experience entering Hogwarts. While he would never relive the moment entirely, there was always a small part of him that got live vicariously in the faces of their new students.

But this time, Harry watched as more than just a professor. This time, when he stood, all of the voices stopped and looked to him.

For on this night, Harry gave his first Opening Address as Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Magic.

"Good evening, one and all!" Harry said, his voice magically enhanced so that even at a whisper, everyone in the room could hear him. "Tonight is a special night for all of us. To our new students, we welcome you to these hallowed halls and pray that you find them as welcoming as the homes you left behind. To our returning students, I am pleased to see the familiar smiles that we missed all summer. Now, before we begin, I have someone to introduce. I am certain that you all will recognize him so please do be courteous and listen to what he has to say. Mr. Diggory?"

With that, the current Minister of Magic stood and made his way to the center of the platform that the Head Table stood on, the students applauding triumphantly as they cheered. At such a young age, politics meant nothing to most of them. To them, he was the Minister of Magic. It didn't matter that he was foolish or talented, wise or dumb.

It was a state that Harry sometimes wished he could return to before he often realized that those feelings had never been a reality for him.

"Thank you, Headmaster. I believe we should all give Mr. Potter a round of applause to welcome him into our new role." Diggory bellowed with a faked smile, leading the student in a raucous applause. "Now, I am here to announce a new partnership with Hogwarts School. From now until the end of the school year, the Ministry has worked with Headmaster Potter to place an impartial observer within the walls of the school. This person's job will be to take note of the policies and procedures of the staff of Hogwarts and then report back to myself and the Department of Magical Education."

They were a spy, Harry thought to himself. Even if he managed to get a spy that he thought he could work with, the fact remained that they were a spy nonetheless.

"Working with Professor Potter, we managed to select someone that he has a rather unique history and someone that we at the Ministry felt was well suited to the job. Please, allow me to introduce Miss Gabrielle Delacour!"

The crowd gave Gabrielle a bit of light applause as she stood and smiled at the students. Some of the older students were instantly taken by the half-veela's looks, staring obviously in the hopes that they would be noticed by her. But Gabrielle was no dumb stunner. Having been the top in her class at Beauxbatons, Gabrielle graduated a year early at the age of sixteen before joining her sister in England.

Instantly, she had been hired on by the Department of Magical Education and had, in less than one year, been promoted no less than four times. Now, having barely two years of experience, Gabrielle was already a member of the department's senior advisory council. This was the council of advisors that Diggory had given him to choose from.

Seeing Gabrielle's name on the list, it had taken Harry about four seconds to make his selection. While he didn't know Gabrielle that well, he knew that Gabrielle was much like Fleur and that boded well for her sensibility, a trait which would serve her well within the walls of this school while Harry was in charge.

"Miss Delacour will be available to all students who wish to learn about a career in the Ministry of Magic, alongside her duties as observer." Harry interrupted, making sure that the students were reminded that she was ultimately there to watch them. "I am looking forward to working with Miss Delacour and I ask that you all give her the same respect you would any Hogwarts staff member."

That being said, Harry instantly launched into the typical information given to first years before reminding the returning students about the Forbidden Forest. While none of these students were Fred or George Weasley, there did always seem to be a few that ended up in the Forest.

Thankfully, no more detentions were given in the Dark Forest.

After that was done, Harry dismissed the students to follow their Prefects. As the students filed out, the Minister once more made his way to Harry, Gabrielle immediately behind him.

"Keep her in the loop, Professor." Diggory demanded.

"I am familiar with Miss Delacour's work at the Department of Magical Education, Minister. I am certain that she will do exactly what her role requires and will need little help from me to accomplish her tasks."

"Very well." Diggory replied, tired of their repartee. "Then I'll be on my home, Headmaster. I've a country to run after all."

"Of course, Minister." Harry answered, doing his best not to strangle the sitting Minister of Magic. Thankfully, he took his leave and with a knowing look, Gabrielle followed him, leaving Harry alone with his thoughts on the potential assassination of the Minister of Magic.

* * *

That evening, as the sun finally set over the mountainous horizon, Harry was finishing up his work for the night. The first day of classes was upon them and Harry knew that he needed to be ready for what was sure to be a long day.

Once the schedule for his first day observations was completed, Harry began to pack up his belongings to start the short walk home. He had just finished putting his possessions in his back when the flames in the fireplace turned a sudden green.

Turning towards the fireplace, Harry was greeted with the face of Kathryn Downey. She looked more worried than Harry had ever seen her, a fact that did not bode well for him.

"Kathryn. What can I do for you?" Harry asked.

"I need to come to your office briefly." Kathryn said, a note of panic in her voice.

"Please." Harry replied. Just a moment later, Kathryn burst into the room and began pacing. For several moments, Harry watched her as she said nothing. This was the Head of the Aurors, not a woman who could be easily flustered.

Still, something had caused her to act like this and whatever it was, the idea that Kathryn Downey was this terrified put Harry immediately on edge.

"What is it, Kathryn?" Harry finally blurted out when he could no longer stand her silence.

"Finch-Fletchey was found dead in Wales earlier this evening." Kathryn whispered as she finally collapsed into one of the chairs across from Harry's desk. Rather than sit at his usual seat, he took the other chair and waited for her to continue. "He was undercover, following a threat that we had been tracing for the last few years. Welsh nationalists that wished to separate themselves from the Ministry."

"Kathryn, I appreciate you telling me this but I wasn't that close with Justin." Harry whispered, afraid that the portraits may betray this information to someone else.

"I'm not telling you this because of your friendship with Justin. I'm telling you this because you know about Elena King."

"How does it connect?"

"We're fairly certain that at least one senior member of the group that Justin was following was a member of the Masters of Death. When his body was found, he had a list of names in his jacket pocket. On the list of names was Aeron Williams, the leader of the nationalist group that he had been infiltrating."

"So?"

"Elena King's name was also on the list." Kathryn explained. "We believe that we were mistaken on the nature of the group that Justin was following."

"You think it's another Master of Death cell?" Harry asked. "How can there be so many of them? No one has ever heard of them and yet from the information I've gotten from you and Kingsley, they're all over the place. There's at least one cell here in England, one in Wales and several on the continent proper."

"The only thing we can come up with is that someone is pushing them."

"Pushing them? You mean like rallying them?"

"Personally, my theory is that much like most hate groups, they were mostly talk. Lots of rhetoric but not much action."

"Until someone changed that." Harry reasoned aloud. "Someone they believe in."

Kathryn immediately caught Harry's drift and started shaking her head violently.

"Harry, I am telling you that you cannot speak to Grindelwald." Kathryn said, her teeth grinding.

"If what you say is true and there are several cells of the Masters, then who could inspire them other than Grindelwald? And if it's not him, then wouldn't he know better than anyone who it could be?"

"I'm not arguing with your logic. I'm just saying that the Germans will never allow you near him."

"I'm aware." Harry said simply.

"Don't." Kathryn said, the natural authority in her voice coming forward. "If you do whatever foolish thing you've got planned in your head, the Germans will surely seek your arrest and the Minister will be only too happy to serve you up on a silver platter."

"Don't I know it?" Harry replied, mostly to himself. "Kathryn, I'm going to work with some of my sources and see if I can find anything that can help you."

"What are y-"

"You don't want to ask that question." Harry said, cutting her off. "Now, I have a long day tomorrow and I would like to actually get some sleep before my first day as Headmaster."

Harry could tell that she wanted to ask two dozen more questions but knew that it would only cause more problems than solutions. Certainly, Harry had a streak of circumventing what would normally be considered legal but he got results. Regardless of what she would say publicly, it was why she had come to Harry in the first place. Obviously, she couldn't directly as Harry to investigate but technically, she shouldn't have told him any of this to begin with, so they were clearly meddling in a grey area.

"Fine." Kathryn said curtly. "Just please don't make me arrest you."

"I've never been arrested." Harry said with a grin.

"Don't start." Kathryn growled lowly. "Just don't."

"Fine." Harry agreed. "Have a good night, Kathryn."

"Same to you, Headmaster."

With that, Kathryn turned and disappeared into the Floo. Instantly, Harry turned back to his desk to grab his things when he noticed something on his desk that didn't belong there.

Specifically, something that hadn't been there the last time that he had looked at his desk.

It was an envelope bearing the mark of the Minister of Magic. But the mark had been covered in ink by the symbol of the Deathly Hallows. Carefully, Harry waved his wand to ensure that there were no curses on it. Once he was satisfied that nothing terrible was going to happen to him once he opened it, Harry grabbed the envelope and ripped it open.

The moment he saw the letter, he recognized the handwriting instantly.

_Harry,_

_Sneaking into the Minister of Magic's office isn't easy but it was the only way I could be sure that you would get this letter without someone else reading it. I'm certain that by now, you realize that I was "involved" in Elena King's death._

_I didn't kill her for no reason, Harry. If I hadn't killed her, she would have killed Hermione. The Masters view her as a threat and will stop at nothing to kill her._

_Someone is coming so I have to be brief. I have good intel that suggests that one of the candidates for Minister of Magic was bought and paid for by the Masters. As far as I can tell, their behavior hasn't changed after the election but that isn't a good enough indication of who could be a Master._

_They have other moles inside the Ministry but refer to them only by codenames. Keep an eye out, Harry, and trust no one._

_GW_

_PS: I like the new glasses._

Instantly, Harry's eyes went to the window. Despite the fact that he knew where Ginny had sent the letter from, Harry couldn't help the feeling that he was being watched. He had gotten new glasses at the beginning of the summer. Since then, no photo of him had appeared in any sort of publication.

This meant that Ginny had seen him somewhere, a thought that made Harry sad, knowing that she had been within feet of him and that he hadn't even be aware of her presence.

But all of those thoughts paled to the news that one of the four candidates for Minister of Magic was secretly a mole for the Masters of Death. Harry was certain that it wasn't Hermione.

But if it wasn't Hermione, that still left three other choice.

If that was the case, then who was it?


	8. Chapter 8

Harry's paranoia subsided quickly the next morning as classes began in the unbearable early September heat. Harry had already been called out to the grounds twice because two different first years had forgotten to drink anything at breakfast in their excitement and then passed out from heat exhaustion. As it was, Harry was close to cancelling the rest of Luna and Marcus' classes for the day and keep the children inside where it was cool.

Still, the first day of classes went remarkably well. It was tradition for the Headmaster to peek into each professor's room at one point throughout the day. There was even supposed to be an informal evaluation. What he was supposed to evaluate, Harry wasn't exactly sure. It wasn't as if there was much teaching on the first day. Much like any other school, most of the professors spent their first day explaining what they were going to be learning about for the year, how the class would operate and what the students could expect.

After all of that was done, if there was still time, a professor may get into the briefest of discussions about the first subject of the year before the bell would inevitably ring and the class would move on.

As the day moved on, he continued to move about the castle, chatting with students on occasion or simply observing as they moved about between classes. This was something that Harry had committed to doing each day. One of the issues that Harry had with both Dumbledore and McGonagall was that they spent far too much of their day up in their office. As a result, each took on a sort of mythological air within the castle. Catching a glimpse of them other than at meal times was rare and speaking to either of them was almost unheard of if you weren't a Head Boy or Girl.

Harry knew that his reputation would already intimidate some of the students who he wasn't already familiar with and wanted nothing to do with that. So, he stood in the hallways, greeting students that he knew and introducing himself to those that he didn't. He hoped that meant that students would be able to come to him with their problems, something he had felt he hadn't always been able to do with Dumbledore (and considering the size of some of Harry's problems, that was obviously a challenge).

When Harry heard the bell signalling the last class of the day to begin, Harry began to mount the stairs, heading to the seventh floor where the Arithmancy classroom was located. As Harry reached the door, he stepped inside and took a seat in the back.

The room was large with rows of stadium level seats with a stage-like area at the front where Hermione stood. This class was the NEWT level students, probably the hardest class offered in the entire school. Therefore, despite there being several rows and nearly one hundred seats, the dozen or so students were all seated in the first row, a few feet from where Hermione stood.

As Harry sat, Hermione's eyes flickered up to Harry. She smiled briefly before ignoring him and turning back to her students.

"Having discussed how I intend to run this class, does anyone have any questions?" Hermione asked.

No hands were raised and no voices spoke up. Seeing no objection, Hermione moved back to her desk where she grabbed two different books. Turning, she levitated the books at chest level in front of her, allowing her to read them both almost simultaneously.

"Now, over the last four years, you have gone from the most basic of Arithmancy, the calculation of name values, to the more advanced methods, like the mathematical analysis of a name value to determine whether or not a person is more or less likely to succeed at a particular venture, such as Flying or Dueling." Hermione rattled off. "I am pleased to inform you that you have learned practically all there is to know about Arithmancy at this point."

It was a good setup. The students were grinning from ear to ear, severely underestimating their new professor and just how much they had left to learn. Thankfully, Hermione didn't wait too long before she let the other shoe drop.

"However, in order to succeed in this class, you must become the master of those skills. Because this class is entirely based on application. I am going to assume that your calculation is always correct. If it is not, it will throw the entirety of your data off track. In order to become a truly skilled Arithmancer, you must dedicate yourself to perfection in calculation and observation. Without the ability to view the world logically, I will be forced to inform you that most of you will not pass this class or your NEWT."

Suddenly, Hermione turned back to her desk and grabbed a chart, also levitating it so the entirety of the class could see it.

"This is what we call a life chart. By the end of the year, you should be able to fill one of these out in a day. For now, we will work on one that you will finish around New Year's, another that will be finished around Easter and another that you will finish two weeks later. Your final exam for this class will be to complete a life chart in under six hours."

Just a few moments earlier, these students had been grinning, thinking they were getting away with taking an easy class. Now, they all had a look of horror on their face as they realized just how much work would go into this class.

"I will be fair. I will be honest. Some of you may not last until Christmas for one reason or another. But, if you put in the work, I guarantee that each and every one of you has the ability to succeed. It is up to you whether or not that happens."

The moment Hermione finished her speech, the bell rang once more, signalling the end of classes for the day.

"For Wednesday, please read the first two chapters of the class text and come prepared to discuss the effect of different languages and their translations on the calculation of the heart score."

Quickly, all of the students packed up their belongings and left. Within just a few moments, it was only Harry and Hermione left in the room. Once Hermione saw they were alone, she returned to her desk and collapsed into the chair, her head falling backward as she mumbled toward the sky.

"You look tired." Harry grinned.

"Don't you have a meeting to go to?" Hermione grumbled.

"I do." Harry admitted. "But I wanted to ask how your day went before I left."

"I think it went well." Hermione replied, her head tilting down so that she could look at Harry. "My third year students are going to be rough. I don't ever remember being that scatter-brained."

"You weren't." Harry chuckled. "But you were also far from ordinary."

"Speak for yourself, O Chosen One." Hermione jabbed in return.

"Fair point." Harry admitted. "I think you'll do well. Just try not scare all of the seventh years away."

"When I retook my seventh year, there was only four people in NEWT Arithmancy and that was including the number of us who were there that shouldn't have been. I have fourteen students."

"That's a problem?" Harry questioned.

"It's only a problem if they don't keep up. I know some of them won't but I would prefer that I don't waste my time with students won't be here come Halloween."

"Well, I suppose you should take that up with the Headmaster."

"I just did."

"Oh right." Harry said with a mocking wink. "Now, I do have to get to London."

Hermione huffed at the thought of Harry leaving for the evening. To be honest, Harry wasn't thrilled with the idea himself but he didn't have much of a choice.

"When the Minister of Magic calls a meeting, you attend." Harry replied.

"I'm well aware." Hermione said scathingly. It was rare of Hermione to express clear dislike of a person. So the fact that she was so willing to do so of Amos Diggory spoke volumes.

"I'll try to be home early." Harry offered, knowing it was useless.

"I won't hold my breath."

An hour later, Harry sat in the immaculate office of the Minister of Magic, surrounded by some of the most influential people in England. Obviously, Diggory and Charles Hope, his new Senior Undersecretary was there along with Harry. Kathryn Downey and former Minister of Magic Kingsley Shacklebolt was also present.

But the last two were the ones that made him nervous. One, Tiberius Ogden, was a well-known quantity to Harry. In the last five years, Harry had met with Tiberius on a number of occasions to drum up support for new educational initiatives and to continue funding programs for students who were unable to attend traditional schooling in one way or another. Tiberius was one of the rare members of the old guard that was still well trusted, having maintained his seat in the Wizengamot since the early seventies. He was an old, balding man with black hair and a massive waistline. However, he dressed well enough to cover for his physical shortcoming, obviously coming from wealth.

But the other was an unknown to him despite the high profile job she now held. Samantha Lyman had been an enigma at the Ministry less than one year earlier. She was young in comparison to the rest of the Ministry officials in the room. While they were all in their fifties at least, Samantha was a petite woman in her early thirties. In fact, the only person to become Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement at a younger age than her was Hermione Granger herself.

She was attractive by any measure but if anyone was heard uttering rumors about how she continued to advance by any method other than hard work, she became a valkyrie with the sole purpose of destroying you. She had dirty blonde hair that she pulled up into a bun and a slight scowl. The overall picture made Harry think highly of what a younger Minerva McGonagall may have looked like.

Meeting new people didn't bother Harry anymore. However, meeting two people that Ginny Weasley had just informed him may have been involved with a death cult possibly controlled by Gellert Grindelwald did give him pause. Even with all of the uncertainty regarding Ginny's information, Harry couldn't help but feel nervous.

"Ladies and gentlemen, thank you all for coming." Amos said, standing from behind his desk to start the meeting. "Looking around the room, I believe that everyone is familiar with each other so we'll skip the pleasantries and get right down to business."

At that moment, two ghostly images appeared in the middle of the room. They appeared to be made of the same material as the innards of a Penseive.

"Before you stand the victims of two separate brutal attacks. One, Elena King, was a junior Ministry worker, an aide to Ms. Lyman before her transfer to Magical Law Enforcement. The other, Mr. Justin Finch-Fletchey, an undercover Auror who was investigating a group of extremists in Wales. Both Ms. King and Mr. Finch-Fletchey were murdered, beheaded with a single Cutting Curse."

At that moment, Samantha Lyman stood and made her way to the center of the room.

"We believe that these two murders are connected."

Clearly, Harry thought to himself. At the very least, the similar method of death meant that they would be investigated as a joint case until evidence turned up that proved the contrary.

"According to intelligence gathered by the Aurors and reported to me by Head Auror Kathryn Downey, we believe this to be the work of an escaped fugitive from this country."

The moment those words came out of Lyman's mouth, Harry's mind started swimming. It was clear what her next words were going to be and became even more clear when a ghostly image of Ginny Weasley appeared next to the two murder victims.

"Currently, all of the intelligence that we have points to Ginny Weasley." Samantha said plainly as she started sorting through a folder in her hands. "Weasley was incarcerated in Azkaban Prison for the murder of Draco Malfoy. Her original sentence was indefinite, depending on an annual mental health examination. However, after eighteen months in captivity, Ms. Weasley escaped."

"Almost from the moment of her escape, the Ministry has been aware of Ms. Weasley's location. However, at the time, my predecessor decided that Ms. Weasley be used as an asset instead of an outcast. So, assuming she remained outside of England, the Ministry allowed Ms. Weasley to operate as a ghost, taking down targets that the Ministry could have no official business with."

Looking around the room, Harry wasn't surprised to see that most of the room seemed to be aware of this. Of course, he was an outsider in the room. Everyone else had been or was a Ministry power player within the last few years. Harry, on the other hand, had left the Ministry to its business once he left the Auror Office and hadn't looked back.

"According to notes left behind by my predecessor, Ginny Weasley was actively investigating a group of international terrorists known as The Masters of Death. We believe that Mr. Finch-Fletchey was also looking into a cell of this group in Wales when he was killed."

"If they were both investigating them, then why do we believe Ms. Weasley had a part in killing Finch-Fletchey?" Ogden said, asking the obvious question.

For a moment, Samantha looked as if she were going to answer. Then, rather than speak up, she turned to Amos, who looked at her dismissively. It was a moment like that which gave an insight into why Amos Diggory won the election over her. While she may have been brilliant, she was also occasionally too deferential, leading to her appearing weak in big moments.

"It is my belief that Ms. Weasley has gone above and beyond investigating the Masters of Death." Amos replied before looking eyes with Harry. "I believe that she has joined them."

It was clearly bait. Amos Diggory knew nothing of subtlety. It was clear that even if this was truly what Amos believed, he was ramping up the drama of that reveal in order to bait Harry into shouting, lashing out, anything to make him look weak and foolish.

"Where is your evidence of this?" Harry asked instead. "You said that Ms. Weasley was a ghost. I assume this means that she plays by a different rulebook than a standard Auror. Am I right, Ms. Lyman?"

Directing the question to Samantha was intentional. Rather than getting some bullshit answer from a blubbering man trying to cover his tracks, he would get an answer and a truthful one at that.

"Ms. King was not the innocent Ministry worker she appeared to be." Samantha explained. "We had proof that she was a member of the Masters of Death."

"The Masters of Death? What kind of name is that?" Tiberius asked.

"One belonging to Gellert Grindelwald." Kingsley answered, finally breaking his silence. "They're a group devoted to continuing his ideals."

"Merlin." Tiberius whispered. "So if Ms. King was a member of this group, didn't Weasley do us a service?"

"Not quite." Kathryn answered for her place in the far corner. She was by far the lowest ranking person allowed to be in the room for this meeting. In fact, considering she had known very little about Ginny's actual role, Harry was surprised to see her there at all. "Like Ms. Lyman said, we had evidence against Elena. We were using that evidence to bring in her into the fold. But, before we could do that, she had her head removed by Ms. Weasley."

That was certainly problematic timing for Ginny. Still, Harry was having trouble believing that Ginny would have joined the Masters of Death. Above all else, Ginny believed in freedom. It was a necessary part of her personality. To remove that from all of the Muggles worldwide seemed very out of character for her.

However, he did have to internally admit that Ginny had likely changed a lot during the last few years.

"It is our suspicion that Ms. Weasley was ordered to kill Elena King before she could reveal her contact to the Ministry." Amos finally stated definitively. "The same with Mr. Finch-Fletchey, we believe he was getting too close to finding out the truth about the group he was chasing and Ms. Weasley was ordered to put him down."

"Could it be possible that she is still just following her cover?" Kingsley asked. Harry was thankful that someone other than himself had asked. If Harry had asked the question, it would have put him in an incredibly weak position, excusing the actions of a friend while two people were dead. With Kingsley having asked, he just seemed like an old Auror doing his due diligence.

"Even if she is, she killed an Auror, someone she knew." Kathryn replied sadly, looking at Harry as she answered. "We can't excuse that, especially from someone who should technically be in Azkaban already."

"I agree." Harry admitted sadly. "It seems ridiculous but we at least need to find her and bring her in."

"Would you be willing to assist in this matter, Mr. Potter?" Tiberius asked. "You seem to be the person most likely to garner a response from her, considering your previous relationship."

"I would be glad to help." Harry said before turning to Amos and Samantha. "That is, if the Ministry would have me."

Merlin bless Tiberius Ogden. In one fell swoop, he had just invited Harry to participate in an investigation that neither Amos or Samantha wanted him to be a part of. But he was Harry Potter, the wizarding world's greatest war hero, and that meant that refusing him in front of this company would lead to questions and those questions may lead to Harry using his considerable influence to aggressively back someone else in the next election.

It was a ploy that Harry hated using but in a situation like this, it likely meant the difference between Ginny being brought in alive or dead. If Amos had his way, she would be dead before she hit the floor. At least if Harry was a part of this, he could use his information to organize an effort to find her before the Ministry did.

"Of course." Amos replied through gritted teeth. "We would be glad to have you. Leave your information with Ms. Lyman and we'll see to it that you are brought into the investigation at your leisure."

"Good idea, Mr. Ogden." Kingsley said with a knowing grin. "Is there anything else, Minister?"

"Not at this time." Amos said, rolling his eyes as he collapsed into his chair. "Please, as always, keep this information to yourselves."

Harry wasted no time chatting with anyone. Instead, he grabbed his belongings, made his way to the Atrium and Apparated out of the building. However, instead of returning home or going to Hogwarts, Harry went to the one where he could actively begin tracking Ginny.

13 Grimmauld Place.

Harry had to be careful entering the house to make sure that it was no longer under surveillance. When Dumbledore's Army was shut down, Harry was forced to remove the Fidelius Charm from the property, making it visible to all magical users. However, rewarded the home making it virtually impossible to get into without knowing the precise ward order.

As Harry walked through the door, he couldn't help but marvel at the interior of Grimmauld Place. After Malfoy's raid on the Ministry but before Dumbledore's Army was permanently shut down, Harry had 13 Grimmauld Place overhauled in a massive way. In fact, to the few people who had seen both the old and new version, it was hardly recognizable as the same property. The only evidence of the old Black family home that remained was Sirius' bed.

Everything else had been removed and destroyed. After that, Harry had invited some of the best magical renovators in the world to redesign the home. Now, instead of acting as a residence for a small family, it was designed to acting as the operating base for a small army. Thankfully, the renovators had agreed to a memory charm that blocked that particular memory from their minds after they had completed the project.

The main floor now consisted of a world-class kitchen and dining room capable of feeding and seating nearly fifty people. Also found on the first floor was a small reading room where people could relax. The second floor housed the entirety of the dorms where nearly one hundred people could stay due to undetectable extension charms on the entire house.

Finally, the top floor was where Harry's personal office was located along with a small briefing room, training area and the remnants of the Black Family Library. Harry had personally filtered through the tomes, sending some of them to a private vault at Gringott's, others to Hogwarts and the rest remained on their shelves at Grimmauld Place.

Only one book that told someone how to successfully create a Horcrux was destroyed.

Mounting the stairs, Harry made his way to his office. Most of the house was dusty as it had been almost three years since anyone had stepped foot inside. However, thanks to a handy cleaning charm, Harry's office would never show dust.

This was also where he kept the one thing he would need: a specially charmed Galleon that Hermione had given him in fifth year.

The calling card of Dumbledore's Army.


	9. Chapter 9

"No." Ron said for what had to be the thousandth time. "I still can't believe it."

Several hours later, Harry had called a meeting of his small council, the group of people he trusted the most. It was a mix of the leaders of both the Order of the Phoenix and Dumbledore's Army. Representing the original Order of the Phoenix was Kingsley Shacklebolt, Minerva McGonagall and Arthur Weasley. Molly sometimes attended these meetings but Harry knew that she hated seeing Harry continue battling against anyone.

From Dumbledore's Army, Harry invited the original group that attacked The Department of Mysteries: himself, Ron, Hermione, Luna and Neville. Ironically, Ginny herself would have been invited if she wasn't on the run.

About an hour earlier, Harry had called a meeting of this small council, something that had only been done once before on the day that Harry had decidedly closed both The Order of the Phoenix and Dumbledore's Army. At that meeting, Harry had relayed his compromise with the Ministry to this group, ordering them to stand down but to keep their coins handy in case they were ever needed again.

Harry had to say that he was pleased that they had all listened.

Harry had sat this group down and told them as much as he knew about The Masters of Death with Hermione filling in some small details that she knew from her time at the Ministry. After that, Harry had told them all about his meeting with the Ministry's leadership, this time with Kingsley adding his own observations.

Finally, Harry had told them about Ginny's suspected actions and the line of thinking that the Ministry was following by placing Ginny at the top of their most wanted list.

Needless to say, the two Weasleys in the room were not particularly excited to hear this information, Ron especially. It was clear that Arthur was not pleased either but he had so far managed to keep his temper under control.

Ron, not so much as another chair was banished across the room, shattering into a dozen pieces against the far wall.

"Ron!" Hermione shouted as she quickly repaired the chair, which Harry was quickly considering making impervious to damage.

"Let him go." Harry muttered to Hermione before turning back to Ron. "Can we be done smashing chairs and actually do something, Ron? Can we do that please?"

"What are we supposed to do!?" Ron bellowed.

"Find Ginny before the Ministry does." Harry said simply. "If we can do that, then we can talk to her and find out her motives. If we don't do that, I know that Amos will throw the book at her. She'll be killed or locked in the darkest cell of Azkaban before we can do anything."

Finally, Ron seemed to realize that his current method of expressing himself was doing very little to help. Taking his seat once more, Harry turned to the rest of the room.

"We've done this before." Harry started. "Whether at Hogwarts or in real life, we've subverted the Ministry in the past. I'm not happy about this but we need to do something to find Ginny before it's too late for her."

"We do have a problem." Minerva replied.

"What's that?" Harry asked.

"We have no one placed inside the Ministry." Kingsley answered for her. "Before we had Arthur, myself, Tonks, even Percy. Now, we don't have anyone on the inside."

"I work at the Ministry!" Ron exclaimed.

"Ron, you are the Head of what may be the most politically inactive department in the Ministry." Hermione countered. "Be honest, how often does important information on former spies come across your desk?"

"Rarely." Ron replied without looking at Hermione.

"Rarely?" Harry asked skeptically.

"Fine. Never." Ron scoffed quietly. "So we're back to square one."

"How much of a problem is this going to be?" Neville asked.

"Huge." Minerva suggested. "While Severus was always our most valuable spy against Voldemort, the work that our Ministry spies did was almost as valuable."

"So we're going to need to recruit someone?" Hermione questioned. "That seems like a huge security risk."

"It is." Harry agreed. "Plus, if we believe that at least two senior Ministry officials have been or are members of the Masters of Death, then we need to be very careful about who we pick."

"Who do you think we can trust?" Luna asked from the far end of the table. Of everyone in the room, Luna often spoke the least. However, when she did speak, the former Ravenclaw was often the first to get to the true heart of the problem at hand.

Harry thought about the people that he knew who worked at the Ministry. Most of the list were schoolmates of his and even among those people, Harry wouldn't trust most of them. Not because he thought they were members of the Masters but because they wouldn't have the stomach for the work being a spy inside the Ministry would require.

As Harry's mind filtered out most of the list, his mind came to a few names: Gabrielle Delacour, Ernie MacMillan, Fleur Weasley and Daphne Greengrass. Quickly, Harry suggested these names to the room.

"Gabrielle reports directly to the Minister now." Harry started. "With that, there is the possibility of her being able to eavesdrop and find out some things."

"Yes, but there's also a high likelihood that she gets caught." Minerva replied. "We need someone who could get access to highly classified information without it seeming suspicious."

"Which also eliminates Ernie." Kingsley added. "Dennis is a good choice based on his constitution but he lacks access."

"Also, he's not in a location where he could easily access the Minister." Arthur finished. "The Department of Magical Games and Sports isn't even in the same building as the Minister's Office anymore. Without access to Amos, we basically get nothing."

Harry knew that Gabrielle and Ernie were long shots and had to agree with the opinions that had been thrown out by his more experienced friends. However, the last two were the ones that Harry was truly interested in.

"Fleur is an interesting selection." Arthur continued. "On one hand, she's a Weasley, which is going to make Amos suspicious of her because he knows of our loyalty to you."

"But on the other hand, she is the Security Coordinator of the Minister's Office. No one gets in and out of that building without her eyes on it. She works very closely with Kathryn Downey, something that could be helpful when it came to having eyes on the Aurors."

"What about Daphne?" Harry asked.

Instantly, the room went silent. Harry rolled his eyes as he knew what each and every person in the room was thinking. Thankfully, Ron was the one who articulated it.

"She was a Slytherin." he muttered.

"I don't give a fuck what House she was in!" Harry roared, tiring of having this conversation every time Daphne Greengrass' name came up in conversation.

"Harry!" Hermione exclaimed.

"She was on my task force when we took down Malfoy. She works for the Department of Mysteries, only the most secretive Department in the entire Ministry. She has access to every single room in the Ministry due to the nature of her work. She ran Hermione's election campaign, for Merlin's sake!"

"Obviously, I agree with Harry, although not with his language." Hermione added with a sly look toward Harry.

"I find it hard to overlook her family's history." Minerva replied. "Regardless of what House she was in during her time at school, the Greengrasses have a lengthy history of shady deals. Their family morals are questionable at the very best and they have proven that they will do whatever it takes to be one the winning side."

"I wonder what Sirius would think of this." Harry mumbled quickly as he stood and paced the room.

"I'm sorry?" Kingsley asked.

"I was just saying that I wonder what Sirius would think of this. You know as a man who was constantly accused of being dark simply because of his family. A man who spent most of his adult life in prison for something he didn't do. He then spent the last two years of his life unable to fight off the stink of his family because no one would let him."

"These situations are very different, Harry." Arthur replied.

"Are they?" Harry asked, clearly questioning Arthur's knowledge of the situation. "Daphne's family supported the Malfoys. According to you, they did it not because they agreed with the Malfoys' politics but because they thought that Voldemort would win the war. Meanwhile, Daphne Greengrass never showed anything but open contempt for Malfoy, going so far as to be a part of the team that ultimately resulted in his death. Since then, she has testified in front of the Wizengamot, reaffirming her disinterest in the Malfoys by publicly disowning her sister who had been engaged to Draco before his murder. After that, she was offered to run the campaign for the first ever Muggleborn candidate for Minister of Magic. Not only did she agree, she did it for no charge."

"What's your point, Harry?" Kingsley asked, clearly tired of hearing Harry rant.

"My point, Kingsley, is that your family doesn't have to be your legacy. At this point, if you can't see that Daphne Greengrass is one of us, then I don't know how to convince you otherwise. It doesn't matter that she was a Slytherin or that her family is a bunch of power hungry monsters. She looked at her House and her family and decided that she wanted nothing to do with them. She made a name for herself by helping to bring down Draco Malfoy and begin the slow end of Pureblood dominance in the Ministry, something that didn't benefit her at all! She didn't do this because she saw opportunity in it. She did it because she believed in it."

Silence filled the room for the first time since the conversation started. Harry looked around the room, hoping that he had done enough to convince them that Daphne Greengrass was her own person, not a Greengrass stooge. Harry had taken a chance on Daphne and was rewarded immensely for that. If these people, the ones that he trusted most to be rational and impartial, couldn't see that, then who would?

People like Draco Malfoy had been biased, believing themselves to be better than the rest of the world. Harry knew the truth that it didn't matter who your family was, what kind of blood you had or how much money you could spent at one time. All that mattered was the choices you made. They were supposed to be better than the Malfoys. They were supposed to believe in people and give them the chance to prove themselves rather than simply reject them because their family had been monsters in the past.

They were supposed to be better than that.

They _needed_ to be better than that.

"Am I wrong in saying that it sounds like you have your mind made up, Harry?" Arthur asked.

Harry chuckled gently as he retook his seat.

"I had my mind made up ten minutes ago. I just wanted you all on board."

"Well you obviously have me." Hermione replied.

"Me as well." Arthur added.

Both Kingsley and Minerva smiled and nodded as Harry turned back to Neville and Luna, who also seemed to be on board. The only holdout was the one that Harry had expected.

"How do we draw the line, mate?" Ron asked.

"What do you mean?"

"Who do we trust? Where do you draw that line?"

"I don't believe we draw a line." Harry replied honestly. "At the beginning, we trust everyone. Does that mean we trust everyone for every job? No. But, I've worked with Daphne. We can trust her for this."

Ron appeared to be deep in thought. Harry knew that Ron's opinion on the matter wouldn't change what happened. This group wasn't really a democracy. Harry consulted this group but if he felt strongly about something, he had no problem going against their wishes. Still, this was important. This was something that would matter moving forward.

"I don't know her, Harry." Ron whispered before looking up at Harry. "But I know you and I trust you. If you say we can trust her, then I trust you."

"That's good to know." Harry said with a grin. "I'll get in contact with her in the coming days and we'll get to work on figuring out exactly where Ginny is moving to. Until then, I suggest we break up this meeting and get back to our regular lives."

As the group broke up and left one by one, Harry had the strangest realization: he was his generation's Albus Dumbledore. While their personalities would never be described as similar, the path that Harry was following was remarkably similar to that of his former mentor.

While Harry would also love and respect Dumbledore for protecting him, the direct comparison was something that made his feel uncomfortable. Much of Dumbledore's actions had bothered Harry at the time. Did that mean that Harry simply lacked the maturity or context to see that Dumbledore had really been doing the right thing? It was a question that would nag at the back of Harry's mind for the foreseeable future.

Still, Harry knew that there were worse things than to follow in the footsteps of the greatest wizard the modern world had known.

* * *

The first week of classes had been an arduous affair as Harry realized the learning curve for being Headmaster of a school of nearly one thousand students was definitely steep. Several times already during the first week, Harry had ended up in Minerva's new dungeon office, asking for advice. Others had encouraged Harry not to run to Minerva for advice, lest he seem weak. For Harry, seeking the wisdom of those that were more experienced than he was would never be considered a weakness.

Still, once Friday evening hit, Harry found himself with a pile of work to do. Rather than come back early the next morning, he had instead elected to stay late and finish the work before heading home. When he had originally sat down after dinner to start working, he had set himself a deadline of 11:00 PM before he would head back home.

Well, 11:00 had passed almost two hours ago as Harry pressed forward, working on a proposal for continued funding for Quidditch supplies from the Firebolt Corporation. It was a superfluous desire but something that Harry had firmly believed in. When he was a student, the thought that Draco Malfoy's father could buy his team a Quidditch Cup had infuriated him. Now, with a sponsorship from Firebolt, he could provide all players with the same school-owned broom, balancing out that advantage across all four Houses and eliminating the largest possibility of wealth impacting the sport which he loved so much.

As Harry worked, the sounds of a passing thunderstorm rang in the distance, the crack of thunder echoing through the mountains around the school. Eventually, the storm crossed onto the school grounds. When that happened, Harry put down his quill and went to the balcony where he watched as a wall of water crossed the grounds. The clouds slowly covered the full moon that floated high in sky, plunging the grounds into a sudden darkness that paled when compared to the light the moon had given off in the open sky.

For nearly ten minutes, Harry watched the rain come in, taking comfort in the simplicity of it. Harry's life had been nothing but complicated recently. During the five years that Harry had previously been at Hogwarts, the most pressing issue had always been ensuring that his tests were graded and his students were complying with the school rules. Other than that, the only true stressful moment in his life had been when he had asked Hermione to move into a new apartment with him. Of course, she had said yes almost instantly but the mere thought of asking the question had terrified Harry for weeks.

But now, Ginny Weasley and her exploits threatened the peace that had taken over Harry's life. A new threat...well, new wasn't really the right word to use. They were newly aware of it but the source of it was as old as Dumbledore's tenure at Hogwarts.

Gellert Grindelwald. Harry's thoughts lingered with the aging man locked deep inside his own prison fortress somewhere in the dark forests of Germany. Harry chuckled to himself at the irony of it. Someone had a sense of humor when they had captured Grindelwald.

Maybe it had been Dumbledore?

But now, just like with Voldemort, those that wished to carry out his legacy returning, threatening everything that Harry cherished. Of course Harry wished he could turn his back on it, pretending it didn't exist.

He had tried that in the past. Needless to say, things had not turned out well for him or the world. Instead, Harry pressed forward mentally. He knew that he was the person best equipped to handle this fight. It wasn't the same fight he had been fighting since he was eleven but it was certainly close.

The storm continued as Harry realized that it was well past one in the morning after a quick look at his watch. Turning, Harry went back inside and was packing up for the night when he noticed something out of place once more.

Just like before, appearing out of nowhere, an envelope sat on his desk. There was tradition between the Minister and Headmaster of Hogwarts. No communication of any kind after midnight unless it was an emergency. Since no one else had reported anything to Harry, he doubted that was the case.

Opening the letter, Harry once again recognized the handwriting.

_Harry,_

_I need to see you. Come to Godric's Hollow. I'll be waiting._

_Ginny_

How Ginny had got that message to Harry concerned him. He also couldn't be sure how Ginny knew he was still at school this late in the evening. Still, figuring all that out was something that Harry was willing to wait on. If he could bring Ginny in, they might be able to end The Masters of Death before they became more dangerous. Ginny clearly had information on them. How much remained to be seen but any information on a threat like this was worth some risk.

Taking a deep breath, Harry turned in place. Just a few seconds later, Harry found himself standing face-to-face with his childhood home, standing just outside the gate. Much like the last time he had been there, graffiti remained all over the statue of his family and the front gate. Smiling for a moment, Harry turned and noticed someone was watching him.

This time, it wasn't Bathilda Bagshot.

It was Ginny Weasley.

Her hair was short, cut just below her jawline. While most of it was a red as ever, a single strand just above her right eye was fading, the most basic line of grey forming there. While Ginny had always been in great shape, it had paled in comparison to the way she looked down. It was clear that years on the run and the work that she had been doing had put her in nearly perfect shape with the all-black clothing she wore clinging tightly to her clearly muscular body.

However, as Harry approached her, Harry noticed the largest difference in Ginny Weasley. It was her eyes. In the past, Ginny's eyes had been the things storybooks had been written about. They held all of the life and fire that had been the base of what Ginny Weasley was about. All the passion and excitement that she held within her were reflected in her eyes.

Now, they seemed more refined. That fire was still there but instead of giving off warmth, they projected a sharpness that Harry had never seen in her. Instead of the warmth of a fireplace, they now seemed to have the intensity of the sun focused on the head of a needle.

Piercing. Like a bird of prey. It was the only word that Harry could use for them.

However, after marvelling at the difference between the Ginny he had left that day at the Ministry and the one in front of him, Harry noticed something else. Something that had escaped him due to the rain.

She was crying.

"Ginny?" Harry asked as he approached her.

"Harry." she said, her voice still the same thankfully. "It's good to see you."

"Ginny, what's wrong?"

Suddenly, Ginny looked at the ground, her head dropping in shame.

"I'm sorry." she whispered before kneeling to the ground.

"What is it?" Harry asked urgently as he collapsed in front of her. Grabbing her chin, he jerked her head back up to him. "Ginny, what is it!?"

Then, he noticed the one other thing that was different about Ginny Weasley these days: she was afraid.

No, she was terrified.

"Gin?"

"Don't fight them, Harry." Ginny muttered.

"Don't fight who?"

Before Ginny could answer, a spell flew over Harry's head, crashing into the fence behind him. Standing, Harry spun in place, his wand at the ready. When Harry saw his attacker, he was stunned as he realized exactly what this was.

It was a trap. Standing in front of him on the streets of Godric's Hollow, there had to be at least thirty of them. All of them stood wearing the same thing: red floor length cloaks with black suits underneath them, white masks covering their faces. Each mask simply had a pair of elegantly carved eye holes with no marking of their mouths, the result being a chilling image that was clearly intended to project fear.

If this was what Grindelwald's followers had looked like back in the forties, then it was obvious where Voldemort had gotten the inspiration for the look of his Death Eaters. While Voldemort hadn't respected Grindelwald's vision, it was clear that he was aware of the fear that Grindelwald inspired and copied it, hoping to create a dark vision for the world.

The one who had his wand raised stepped forward, clearly the leader of this group. When he spoke, his voice sounded strange, distorted. Harry realized he must have been using some sort of magic to alter his voice to hide it.

Harry questioned if that meant that it was someone that Harry would have like recognized without it.

"Harry Potter." he said, his voice muffled due to the mask and the magic he was using to hide himself.

"What do I call you?" Harry said, refusing to lower his wand.

"I have no name."

"Then I think I'll call you Red." Harry chuckled to himself.

"Harry…" Ginny whispered from the ground next to him.

"Miss Weasley, you continue to disappoint me." the masked man said, directing his attention to Ginny. "First, you attempt to bring us down from the inside. Then, you attempt to murder us one by one. Finally, you attempt to escape after my most inexperienced men capture you. On all three accounts, you have failed quite terrifically. Your reputation within the intelligence community was the thing of legend, an impressive feat for someone who had only been working for three years."

Slowly, the masked man began to walk toward Harry, his walk elegent as he seemed to float on the ground rather than walk. As he got closer, Harry realized that his attire was different than the rest. While the others wore red cloaks, his was black and glossy, reflective under the moonlight. At the same time, his mask was not the all-white like the rest of his compatriots. Instead, his mask was one-half grey and one half-gold, split directly down the middle. Finally, bright red jewels lined the edges of the eye holes in his mask.

It was clear from his attire that he was given a rank of honor within The Masters of Death, someone to be respected and feared.

"But instead of getting the British Ministry's top ghost, I get you." he taunted, a hint of anger appearing his voice. "I expected more."

"Keep your opinions to yourself, Red." Harry interjected, stepping in between Ginny and the masked man.

"Mr. Potter, there have been rumors about you for years." he said, his voice almost a whisper. "How you destroyed Voldemort, your battle with Draco Malfoy at the Ministry: all of it furthering the mystique that is Harry James Potter."

By this point, the masked man stood only a few feet away from Harry, his wand never lowering.

"The baby that became a boy who became a man." the masked man growled. "Through all that time, you never faced a threat you couldn't defeat. Certainly, you lost family and friends, soldiers in Albus Dumbledore's battle against Voldemort. But you? Even if you didn't win, you always came out ahead. Now, the world believes you invincible, a saint and deity unable to be killed by any mere man."

Finally, the man threw his arms wide and bowed mockingly before standing back upright. The mask didn't cover the man's eyes. Through the silver and gold, Harry saw eyes of crystal blue staring back at him. Harry could have never believed that such a pure color could have made him feel threatened. Yet, the eyes held a malice and coldness that could only be described as icy.

As if all emotion other than hate had been frozen deep inside his heart.

"It was all lies, wasn't it?" the man said, his eyes suddenly perking up so that Harry knew that he was smiling underneath that mask.

"You'll have to find out." Harry answered simply, not rising to the bait.

"In due time." the masked man said before turning his back on Harry. Instantly, Harry launched a Stunner that would have hit the masked man in the back if not for the other Masters suddenly drawing their wands and protecting their leader, together acting as one unit. "For now, I will take my leave. I will leave behind ten of my men. I am certain that will be a challenge enough for you. Good evening, Mr. Potter."

Then, without saying another word, the masked man and several of his follower disappeared at the same time. Looking around, Harry counted and saw that the masked man was true to his word, leaving ten members of the Masters of Death behind.

At the same instant, all ten drew their wands and fired Killing Curses at Harry. Unfortunately for them, the newest rumors about Harry Potter's prodigious power hadn't been exaggerated. As the spells flew toward him, Harry turned in place, disappearing and reappearing behind them where he quickly Stunned three of them.

The seven remaining Masters turned but before they could catch a glimpse of Harry, he turned again. As he landed, Harry Stunned another before disappearing once more.

One by one, the Masters attempted to stop Harry without catching so much as a glimpse of him. As they reached the end, with just one remaining, Harry stopped Apparating and appeared before the last of them. Try as he might, Harry's defense were impenetrable. Fighting with a fury he hadn't felt in years, Harry pressed forward until he was within just a few feet from his attacker.

The Master fired at a pace that no man could continue for long and sure enough, eventually Harry was able to do simply disarm him. However, Harry was not content to simply Stun the man.

Instead, Harry intended to send a message to the Masters of Death. As his attacker attempted to crawl back to his wand, Harry stepped on his hand, feeling the bones break under his foot. Then, Harry raised his wand and set the man's wand ablaze. As the man cried out over the ashes of his former wand, Harry grabbed the back of the man's cloak, turning him over to face him.

Then, Harry knelt placing his knee directly on the man's chest, causing his to wheeze with Harry's weight.

"You listen to me." Harry growled. "You will find a way back to _Red._ You will tell him what I did here without even breaking a sweat. You tell him that I'm only mildly upset right now and that he really does not want to see me pissed off. But more than all of that, I want you to tell him this-are you listening?" Harry asked as he pressed his knee further into the man's chest causing him to cough from a lack of air. "I want to make sure you're listening because this...it's important. Tell him this: I'm coming for him. I'm coming for the Masters of Death. Tell him that I will find him and when I do, I will make him wish that he had never been born. I will burn everything he has built to the ground, spit on its ashes and then throw him in the deepest, darkest cell that I can find. Can you remember that?"

Harry could see the fear in the man's eyes behind the mask he wore and the body language that he gave off was that of abject fear and terror. Standing, Harry finally let the man move. Without a second of hesitation, the man stood and sprinted off into the darkness.

With a small smile of satisfaction, Harry turned back to Ginny.

Only there was no Ginny Weasley. In fact, there was no sign that Ginny Weasley had even been there. As the frustration within Harry bubbled to the surface, Harry did the only thing that came to mind.

He screamed. His voice carried throughout the silent streets, echoing back to himself a dozen times over. When it was done, Harry realized that he was still alone.

Ginny was still out there.

He was no closer to finding her than he had been ten minutes ago.

But one thing was different: Now, Harry Potter was furious.


	10. Chapter 10

It had taken Harry less than an hour, even considering how late in the day it was, to get Ron, Angelina and George to his apartment. Once they were there, Harry had quickly related to them the story of his finding Ginny's message, meeting her in Godric's Hollow and then the events that followed. For a solid five minutes after Harry finished telling the tale, no one spoke.

Finally, it was George who spoke up.

"How did she look?" he asked simply.

"Good." Harry chuckled. "Strong. She'd been taking care of herself."

"Good." George uttered simply.

"You said that their leader mentioned that she had tried to bring them down from the inside." Hermione said, finally getting ready to ask the first question of the evening. "How would she have done that?"

"Weren't you her handler?" Ron asked, his voice only barely suppressing the rage he was failing to hide. "Shouldn't you know?"

"I was but I never told her how to accomplish any of her tasks." Hermione explained again. "I told her a job. She did it. The question of "how" was intentionally avoided."

"From the way he worded it, it sounded like she tried to join them."

"Then they caught wind of who she was." Angelina continued.

"Or they knew who she was from the beginning." George countered. "Remember, to the rest of the world, Ginny is a criminal."

Unfortunately, that fact was true. Anywhere outside of the few rooms where the news of Ginny's true fate was known, the rest of the world believed her to be an anarchist, someone who would relish in nothing more than taking down the rest of the world. Part of that was due to Ginny's actions against Draco Malfoy.

However, some of that was simply the vast imagination of some reporters like Rita Skeeter. Unfortunately, they held no sway over her any longer. After the war, she had paid a rather large fine and registered as an Animagus. Now, she was able to write whatever she wanted without fear of retribution from Hermione.

Once Ginny's trial had started, Rita had painted Ginny as a freedom fighter, someone who wished for all government to fail. It was a complete falsehood but it was a better story that a girl who was broken by the death of her brother and took advantage of the one moment where she thought she could feel powerful. The truth was that the public saw her now as somewhere in the middle: mentally unbalanced and someone who desired to see the powerful returned to the dirt.

It was going to make the job of restoring her image (if that was required) exceedingly challenging.

"We'll cross that bridge when we get there." Harry replied before turning to Hermione. "Where was Ginny the last you had heard from her?"

"You mean before we knew she was in Britain?"

"Yes."

"I had sent her to follow The Masters of Death. Wherever that took her."

"Do you know where it took her?"

"I suspect either Germany or Switzerland." Hermione replied. "The splinter group that she had been following was rumored to be based out of the Swiss Alps. However, we know that Germany is the home to most of the base camps for the Masters of Death. They work elsewhere and return home for instruction."

"The Swiss Alps?" George asked, turning to Harry knowingly. "That's awfully close-"

"To Nurmengard." Harry said, finishing George's thought before turning back to Hermione. "It keeps coming back to Grindelwald himself, Hermione."

"We'll talk about that later." Hermione said, tabling that discussion. "What we need to know is whether Ginny left of her own accord or whether she is being held captive."

"It was clear that she was bait. Ginny's not stupid. If she had escaped, then she would have come directly to me or made sure that no one could follow her. The fact that so many Masters were there leads me to believe that she is a prisoner."

"Makes sense." George agreed. "So, we think that they're operating out of the Swiss Alps. Is it possible that Nurmengard has been overrun by these people and that the Germans are simply embarrassed to admit it?"

"It's unlikely." Hermione answered. "I visited the grounds once with Amos when discussing reforms to Azkaban. There are hundreds of guards on hand at all times."

"Seems a little much for a hundred year old wizard." Ron suggested.

"For us, yes. But for them, he was their Voldemort. Imagine if we had Voldemort locked up in Azkaban right now. We would have moved every Auror in the country to that island."

"Can't disagree with that." Angelina said with a nod. "However, I have to agree with George that the proximity of their location seems convenient. Maybe a mole within the guards?"

"Wait just a moment." Harry said, ordering the conversation to a halt as he stood. "Anytime I've suggested talking to Grindelwald previously, it was simply for information, a clue as to how to go about stopping the Masters. You all seem to think that he's still behind them."

Looking around the room, Harry saw that Ron, George and Angelina agreed with that sentiment entirely. Even Hermione seemed uncertain as the facts about the Masters of Death continued to pile up.

"That's insane." Harry muttered. "He's one hundred and twenty years old! Why would they still follow him?"

"We followed Dumbledore." Hermione offered.

"Because Dumbledore was the most powerful wizard not named Voldemort!" Harry argued. "Grindelwald has been locked in a single cell since his last escape attempt in 1948. They don't even have a door to the cell anymore. They just Apparate food and water in the room."

"But we've never lived to be that old, Harry." Angelina said firmly. "Maybe physically he's weaker but we have no idea about his magic."

"Neither would they."

"Ultimately that wouldn't matter." Hermione replied. "They believe in him. His quest to rule over the Muggles was the first in centuries. For those wizards that feel subjugated, trapped beneath the publicly Muggle world: he is their one true leader. Everything that he spoke of, everything he taught them, it gave him a special place where he was also their voice. Until he dies, Gellert Grindelwald will be the person they follow."

"If he dies." Ron added. "For all we know, he's got a Horcrux out there that no one has discovered."

That thought was sobering. If it was true, then Grindelwald was simply waiting for the world to forget about him until he could return and strike back against all who held him captive for sixty years.

"We worry about Grindelwald himself later. Our first priority is to figure out where Ginny is and get her back here." Harry replied. "For now, everyone needs to go home and get some rest. I'm going to do some more research on the Masters of Death and then call a full meeting."

"Really?" Angelina asked. "You think this is that bad?"

"If there is a one percent chance that Gellert Grindelwald is about to resurface, then yes, I believe that the Order, Dumbledore's Army, whatever the hell you want to call us, we are most definitely needed again."

* * *

The rest of the weekend had moved much too fast and by Monday morning, Harry found himself back in his office. In the past, if something like the appearance of the Masters of Death had shown up, he could have ignored his schoolwork, had Hermione assist him before everything was due and focus the entirety of his attention on whatever crisis called for his attention. But now, Harry had work to do and there was no one that could cover for him.

So, despite wanting to go search for Ginny with every fiber of his being, Harry sat at his desk and began his day. After a week, Harry had already settled into a fairly regular routine. By seven, regardless of whether he went home or stayed in his chambers at the school, he was in the Great Hall eating breakfast with the students and staff. At around eight, he returned to his office and began to work. A variety of tasks fell under the role of Headmaster. Regular observations of his staff and reporting on their progress were required under Ministry guidelines. Harry also regularly took meetings and mail from parents, typically those who had first years, so they could express their concerns. Finally, as the Headmaster of Hogwarts, he was a regular advisor to a variety of Ministry officials, meaning frequent trips to the offices of Ministry of Magic.

All in all, it meant a day that typically started before sunrise and ended after sunset.

This particular morning, Harry was reviewing a letter from an advisor at the Department of Magical Education on the impact of new Potions standards on the future curriculum of the subject when there was a knock on his door. Looking at the clock, Harry had a strong guess as to who was behind the door and waved his wand, the door opening swiftly. Sure enough, standing on the other side of the door was Amos Diggory's observer, Gabrielle Delacour.

Smiling, Harry stood and motioned for Gabrielle to sit before retaking his seat behind his desk. Harry finished the few sentences that he had been working on for his reply to the Ministry advisor before putting the paper and quill aside and looking up at Gabrielle.

"How are you?" Harry asked pleasantly. "Adjusting to life inside the castle?"

"This is not the first time I've lived here, Headmaster." Gabrielle replied, her English nearly perfect.

"Please, call me Harry."

"The Minister would not appreciate-"

"Despite the fact that he may or may not be your boss, Gabrielle, I think it's fair to say that the Minister and I do not necessarily see eye-to-eye on things. You are here at my school in my office so I think we can abide by my rules and here, we are much more relaxed about titles and things of that nature." Harry replied before adding. "At least among friends anyway."

"You don't know me that well, Harry."

"This is true." Harry admitted. "However, I am still relatively close to your sister."

"When was the last time you saw Fleur?"

"Late July I believe? She was at the party that Ron and Angelina threw on the night of the election."

"Must be nice." Gabrielle grumbled.

"I'm sorry. Did I hit a sensitive subject?"

"Fleur and I are fine. She just disagrees with my line of work."

"Working for the Department of Magical Education?"

"Working for Minister Diggory." Gabrielle replied.

"You don't work for the Minister."

"I'm a senior advisor for the Head of Department who was directly appointed by the Minister himself."

"So? Doesn't Fleur work at the Ministry as well?"

"Yes but she has been working as the Security Coordinator for the Ministry since Kingsley was in charge. Meanwhile, I was hired by someone who was appointed by Minister Diggory."

Having no true family to speak of and only worked at the Ministry for a few months, Harry had managed to go almost the entirety of his life avoiding these kind of disagreements. For the most part, Harry and Hermione had supported each other. When Hermione had originally been named the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, no one had any idea what kind of Minister of Magic Amos Diggory was going to be. However, Harry would have still supported her had she taken the Senior Undersecretary (or Junior Undersecretary as it turned out) position.

"I'm going to ask you something, Gabrielle, and I'm going to ask this to be the only conversation that we ever have in this office that you tell absolutely no one about."

"I'm not sure I can agree to that." Gabrielle objected politely.

"Well, then I will ask you a question. You can choose to answer or not. If you do, then do so knowing that it is understood between the two of us that neither of us will speak of it outside this room."

"Alright." Gabrielle said with a stern nod.

"What is your professional opinion on the Minister of Magic?"

Harry could tell from Gabrielle's immediate reaction that she was not prepared to answer that question. However, Harry also saw her mind instantly go to work, trying to formulate some sort of response. So, rather than press forward and pretend that he hadn't ask, Harry simply waited.

For about a minute, the room was silent. Finally, with her eyes still focused on a shelf across the room, Gabrielle started her response. As she spoke, her words came out broken, as if she was being overly cautious with her answer. It told Harry as much about her opinion of him as any words that would come out of her mouth.

"The Minister of Magic is….a….complicated man. I have little doubt that he...desires the best for everyone…"

"And yet?"

"His leadership leaves….something to be desired. He also lacks the ability to….see the error of his ways. It is something that will get him into trouble one day….if he's not careful."

Harry had heard countless hours of talk on the subject of Amos Diggory from Hermione. However, considering her position within the Ministry, Harry had always wondered whether Amos' behavior was simply due to her high place within the Ministry. While Gabrielle Delacour was no Ministry-bottom dweller, she was nothing compared to the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. To hear that she had a relatively similar opinion on the man that Hermione had was both encouraging and discouraging. On one hand, it meant that Hermione wasn't being paranoid about her treatment.

On the other hand, it mean that a man who was single minded and unable to see the fault in his ways was the man in charge of their country.

"Thank you, Gabrielle." Harry replied earnestly. "Now, what did you have for me today?"

"Headmaster-"

"Harry."

"Harry." Gabrielle answered with a slightly embarrassed grin. "I would like to have these meetings be a weekly occurance so that we can discuss the things that I see in the classroom."

"Will you be sending Amos a report on these meetings?" Harry asked.

"Harry, for my sake, would you refrain from referring to the Minister by name? I know that you are somewhat more lax on titles but it will make my job significantly easier if we use the Minister's proper title when referring to him."

"Of course." Harry agreed. "Feeling a bit like you're serving two masters?"

"A bit. I know I'm not the first to do so but it's rare for those two masters to be the two most powerful people in the country."

"I can imagine that would be difficult." Harry replied. "To go back to my original question: Will you be reporting on these meetings to the Minister of Magic?"

"That depends on your answers." Gabrielle admitted.

"How so?"

"If you reveal any plans to overthrow the Ministry, for instance." Gabrielle replied knowingly.

This comment struck Harry strangely. Leaning back in his chair, Harry found himself not exactly sure how to proceed.

"How much did he tell you?" Harry asked.

"Enough. He wanted an advisor, you did not. He attempted to force you, you blackmailed him."

"I did not!" Harry exclaimed before immediately coming down from such an outright refusal. If not blackmail, then what had Harry done to Amos? "Fine. I blackmailed him. What else did he say?"

"You worked out a deal so that the Minister could avoid whatever it was you held over him."

That forced Harry to chuckle.

"Would you like to know what I 'hold over him'?"

"That's really none of my business."

"I didn't ask if it was your business." Harry snapped. "I asked if you wanted to know. What do you think it was that the Minister wanted kept secret?"

"I honestly couldn't tell you."

"Then guess." Harry suggested.

"I would have to say that you or Miss Granger knew something about the Elena King murder."

"I do know something about that." Harry admitted. "It never came up between the two of us."

That clearly threw Gabrielle off. For several seconds, she seemed to wander in and out of her head, coming up with several ideas before shutting them down without speaking a word. Finally, Harry decided to put her out of her misery.

"I promised him that if he gave me what I wanted, I wouldn't immediately announce my candidacy for Minister of Magic in two years."

"Two years?"

"Whether or not I run, I will likely use my considerable influence to encourage the Wizengamot to request an election in two years. The sooner I get the Minister out of office, the safer I will feel." Harry informed her before leaning forward. Unlike with Diggory, Harry did this not to intimidate but to make her feel more comfortable, like Harry wasn't aloof. "This is the Minister of Magic you work for. I worked to protect my school, he worked to protect his position."

"You did the same." Gabrielle argued. "You saw The Minister as a threat and you saw an advisor as an extension of that threat. So you used your influence to secure your position."

"This is true. But there's one essential difference, Gabrielle. The Minister did what he did to ensure that he was secure. I did what I did because I believe in my heart that there is no one better to ensure the quality of education for my students right now than me."

"Don't you believe that the Minister feels the same way?"

"Probably." Harry admitted. "But at that point, who would you rather place your faith in?"

Gabrielle never answered the question. Instead, she simply smiled.

* * *

As the month of September continued to press forward, Harry continually found himself amazed at how much work was put on the desk of the Headmaster. Frequently, he found himself delegating much of the day-to-day work of the school to Gemma. For a time, Harry had considered himself an early failure, destined to be sacked at the end of the year.

Then, Minerva reminded him that Harry had practically run the school the previous year, a sign that even a Headmaster as experienced as Minerva McGonagall was sometimes forced to pass things off her to Deputy.

However, one of the things that Harry refused to delegate was the new class that was being instituted at the beginning of October. After working both at the Ministry and Hogwarts, and living with a former Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, Harry was well aware that most of the students who entered the Auror Academy were woefully unprepared when it came time to start at the Academy.

Therefore, Harry was creating a new course, Auror Preparation. This class, which was closed except to the most advanced seventh year Defense Against the Dark Arts students, would inevitably become one of the most challenging courses that the school had ever offered. In fact, based on the coursework that Harry had lined up for the class, Harry would be surprised if any more than two or three people even passed.

The other unique thing about this class was that it would become the first class in nearly two centuries to be taught by the Headmaster of the school. Thankfully, Harry wasn't taking on the class alone as his Defense Professor, Padma Patil, was splitting the duties with him. Much of the design of the course had been created by Harry so that even if Harry wasn't able to attend class, his fingerprints were all over the course regardless.

As September came to an end, it was finally time to select the students who would take the class. Harry had already determined that a maximum of ten students would be selected. Among the population of the seventh years who had remained with Defense Against the Dark Arts through seventh year, a number totalling just under one hundred and fifty, only fourteen students had qualifying grades to enroll.

Among those fourteen, eight had already decided that they would not be entering the Auror Academy, leaving a grand total of six eligible students.

Harry was certain that not all of them would make the class.

"First on the list: Sam Wood." Padma said as she pulled out the files for each student. They were seated in Padma's office for a change. As they were teaching the class together, Harry felt it better to work out of her office rather there be some sort of feeling of superiority by Harry.

"Oliver's younger brother." Harry muttered softly. "I'm not sure I want him."

"I think you'll disagree when you look at his grades." Padma said with a smirk. "If you look at his grades for first and second years, they're nothing to write home about. But then third year, top of the class in almost everything."

"Obviously Oliver's death inspired him." Harry sighed. "I'm not sure how I feel about that."

"Sam is a good kid, Harry. There's nothing dark in his heart, at least nothing that I can see. He's driven to make sure that no one has to live through the death of his brother. No one else anyway."

That was encouraging but the situation still had Harry on edge.

"We'll come back to him. Who's the second student?" Harry asked.

"Abbigail Roberts, Slytherin." Padma answered as she looked through the file. "A bit weak in Defense but her Charms, Transfiguration and Potions scores are all close to what Granger scored. Not quite a prodigy but as close as we've seen in those subjects."

"Good temperament?"

"She's a bit shy. I'm not certain how she will handle the pressure that you're going to put on her in this class."

"That _we're_ going to put on her." Harry corrected gently.

"Actually, the classwork will be easy as pumpkin pie for her. It will be the practical work that is a challenge. Since we've already discussed that you will be doing far more of the practical work than me, it is more likely to be you that is pressuring her."

"Is that going to be a problem?" Harry asked. "I won't have time to coddle these students, Padma. They're going to have to be ready to go from day one. If they get left behind, they're only going to slow the whole class down."

"I'm well aware." Padma said sadly. Harry could tell that Padma was suddenly uncertain about Abbigail.

"Will she make it?" Harry asked bluntly.

"I can't be certain." Padma admitted.

"Then we leave her off." Harry ordered before picking up the next file. "Brandon Meyer, Hufflepuff. Fifth in the class across the board, Dueling Club chancellor. Parents are both Aurors. Is there anything we should be concerned about?"

"He does have a bit of an ego." Padma replied with a shrug.

"I do remember that. However, if they don't have a bit of an ego, then they aren't going to succeed in this class." Harry replied before tossing Brandon's file into the bin for accepted students.

After a quick discussion, Elizabeth Wells was rejected for lacking a truly advanced score in both Potions and Transfiguration. However, Kara Wilde, the school's Head Girl from Ravenclaw, was considered an ideal candidate, a great mix of academic excellence and leadership.

All of that led them to their last candidate. As Harry watched Padma pull the last file from her bag, Harry knew exactly whose information was in this final file.

A young man by the name of James Cresswell. The son of Dirk Cresswell, James had been named in honor of Harry's own father. Spending the majority of his youth without a father had been rough on James. Just as he was ready to go off to school, his father was forced to flee their home before dying at the hands of the Ministry's Snatchers.

Over James' previous six years, he had achieved a reputation for being an exceptional student, someone who could always be counted on to understand a concept without much work.

Unfortunately, he could also be relied on for being a hothead and rule breaker. In fact, Harry had already had him in his office once this school year after a near record breaking number of visits with the young man the previous year.

"Cresswell has the grades. He wants in." Padma said simply before moving to put his file on the rejected pile. Quickly, Harry raised a hand, stopping her from putting it there just yet.

"You can't seriously be considering him?" Padma replied. "No offense, Headmaster, but you'll put the course in jeopardy from the very beginning if you include someone like James Cresswell. I know he was named after your father but-"

"That's quite enough, Padma." Harry scolded. "This has nothing to do with his name or the fact that I met his father. This has everything to do with James. We've all known for years that if James only applied himself, he would likely be the head of class."

"And yet, he continues to goof off, get only moderately exceptional grades, average two detentions a week and be a general terror on the school."

"James Cresswell has never taken any class that he didn't need. In third year, he took no extra electives forcing Minerva to enroll him in Care of Magical Creatures, which he promptly flunked just to prove that he could fail at something." Harry said, failing not to manage a small chuckle at the end.

"He's a rebellious boy and he's going to be a nightmare."

"He is." Harry admitted. "But for the first time in his life, James Cresswell is seeking to apply himself in something and I'm not about to tell him no. Not when I think he could make a first rate wizard with a little bit of hard work."

Harry stood and gathered his things as he finished before making his way to the door.

"Throw him and Wood in the class."

"They hate each other." Padma growled in addition. "They're going to fight the entire class."

"Then they'll fit in at the Auror Academy swimmingly."

* * *

That evening, as the clock struck ten, Harry took the package he had received earlier in the evening out onto the balcony of his office. There, Harry had a large bottle of butterbeer on the table next to his favorite chair. From this vantage point, Harry could sit and look over the entirety of the grounds. Tonight was a moderately warm evening so Harry could sit outside without fear of needing any sort of warming charm.

Opening the package, Harry held its contents in his hands gently, not wanting to touch the book, much less open it. However, Harry was well aware that his knowledge on Gellert Grindelwald was limited. Specifically, Harry knew almost nothing about the forces that Grindelwald commanded during his reign.

Harry knew that unlike Voldemort, Grindelwald empowered his followers, often instructing them to strike at Muggle targets without asking Grindelwald opinion. In this way, Grindelwald was less a traditional military leader. Instead, he was, to his followers, a magical messiah, designed to pass his message of terror to his followers who would pick up his cause and create their own forces to take up his banner.

The most famous text on the subject, which Harry now held in his hands, was written by a contemporary of Gellert Grindelwald: an American named Donnie Jones. The book, entitled _The Greatest Good,_ was practically a love letter from Donnie to Grindelwald himself. From the first few pages, it was clear to Harry that Grindelwald must have allowed Jones private access to his forces in order to ensure that Grindelwald's image was portrayed in the way he wished.

However, the date of publication, April 1, 1952, also meant that the book was able to include Grindelwald's battle with Dumbledore, his defeat and trial, then finally the subsequent trials and disbandment of all of Grindelwald's forces.

These were the chapters that Harry was most interested in. It was clear that the Masters of Death were either following or were highly influenced by Grindelwald's ideology. If they were going around and attacking wizards using Muggle technology, then it was clear to Harry that they desired the same thing Grindelwald had longed for: war with the Muggle world.

Thankfully, the book made the search relatively simple. The fourth chapter from the end was titled "Die Meister des Todes."

The Masters of Death. Sipping lightly on the butterbeer next to him, Harry began reading.

**DIE MEISTER DES TODES**

_Over the years, Grindelwald amassed an amazing following of some five thousand witches and wizards, the largest gathering of magical allies in history. For most of these people, they longed to belong to the most elite of Grindelwald's forces: The Masters of Death._

_Only Grindelwald himself is aware of the true genesis of this group but there are a number of rumors among the general population of Grindelwald's forces that make a certain amount of sense. The most common idea is that Grindelwald himself is the Master of Death, the owner of three legendary artifacts known as The Deathly Hallows. The power that Grindelwald wielded at the height of his power lends credence to this theory. In fact, there are those that say that Albus Dumbledore himself now possesses the Elder Wand as a result of his duel with Grindelwald._

_The result of Grindelwald's duel against Dumbledore calls into question this theory. If Grindelwald truly held the Death Stick, then it is highly unlikely that a mere schoolmaster could defeat the most powerful wizard in the world with the most powerful wand in history._

_Regardless of the genesis of the name, there is no doubt where the group first appeared. After Grindelwald disappeared in the 1920s, a group of like-minded witches and wizards sprang to life in his absence. For nearly a decade while Grindelwald hunted for a powerful artifact in the MACUSA, they operated unchecked by European governments._

_When Grindelwald finally returned to Europe in 1932, he adopted these people under his banner, naming them The Masters of Death, the captains of_ _**The Greater Good.** _ _For thirteen years, until Grindelwald's capture at the hands of Albus Dumbledore, this group of fifty ran through Europe, nearly destroying the Ministry of Magic in Greece and executing dozens of Ministry officials in Norway._

_From the moment they began their work together, their goal was always the same: to create unrest in the Muggle world. To that end, Gellert Grindelwald enabled his Masters to work their way into the Muggle world, attaining high ranking within the governments of Muggle Germany, France and Italy. From these positions, they were able to encourage dissention and disorder._

_But even among The Masters of Death, there was one leader known to the others only as The Phantom. While the rest of the Masters of Death wore the same attire, The Phantom was marked with a different set of robes and mask, marking them as unique among The Masters of Death. Each Phantom was selected for only a year at a time before they were replaced by another member of the Masters._

_Of the nearly thirteen year history of the Masters of Death, only two people are known to have been The Phantom: the first and last of that title. The first was a man widely known to the Muggle world: Joseph Goebbels, the propaganda minister for Nazi Germany. Goebbels, a man of marvelous forward thinking, realized that if he gave the Muggles another target, they would ignore the threat that the magical world posed to them._

_To that end, Goebbels placed the head of the Nazi Party, Adolf Hitler, under the Imperius Curse which he would remain until days before his death. Then, at Goebbels' direction, Hitler began the total annihilation of the Jewish people. In contrary to his portrayal in Muggle history, Goebbels had no particular hatred of the Jewish people. Instead, he saw opportunity in the hatred that most within the Nazi Party already held. Using this, Goebbels directed their attention to them. Meanwhile, Gellert Grindelwald was free to exercise free reign over a tense and then warring Europe._

_Goebbels served as The Phantom from October 25, 1932 until November 1, 1933. From that point, he served as a faithful member of The Masters of Death until his murder at the hands of a party lead by Albus Dumbledore on May 1, 1945._

_Unfortunately, the story of the last Phantom is not as honorable. Unlike every other known member of the Masters of Death, Alexander Wilson was not a member of a European nation. Instead, Alexander was a proud American who realized that his country was lost to the Muggle world and instead wished to join Grindelwald in his crusade to free his people._

_On December 1, 1944, Wilson took command of the Masters of Death as The Phantom. As a member of the United States' Army, Wilson was ideally placed to receive information and pass it to Grindelwald. For six months, Wilson fought an uphill battle as it became clear that the Axis Powers were likely going to lose the Muggle war, making it far more challenging for Grindelwald to operate unchecked._

_Finally, on May 1 1945, Wilson's luck ran out. Wearing the cloak of the Phantom, Wilson was captured by French Aurors, also under the direction of Albus Dumbledore. While no one ever spoke to officials with any information on Wilson's activities, he was unfortunately captured with the cloak of The Phantom among his personal effects. The simple possession of this meant that Wilson would spend the rest of his days in Alcatraz Prison. Meanwhile, his wife, Lucille, and only child fled to Europe to avoid the misguided scourge of MACUSA, who intended to brand them as sympathisers and throw them in prison as well. Lucille currently lives in England under an assumed name. Rumors last suggest that she had managed to marry her way into one of the Sacred Twenty-Eight, the list of pureblood Houses in England._

_With both Grindelwald and Wilson in prison, The Masters of Death struggled to coagulate into any sort of functional entity. To this day, The Masters of Death still fight to retain the power they once had. Unfortunately, they have had little to no success at breaking their beloved leader out of prison. Without him, they have no recruiting power. Since being a member of The Masters of Death is still considered an offense punishable by death by most European governments, the Masters unfortunately remain in hiding, hoping that one day someone is able to restore them to their former glory._

Harry didn't even know where to begin. The fact that the last Phantom's family had escaped to England certainly couldn't be ignored. Also, the presence of the Sacred Twenty-Eight meant that Harry was certain to target some fairly influential people.

People like the Weasleys and The Greengrasses, both of whom were on the list of the most pure magical families in England.

Still, Harry would have to digest this information further before anything else could be done. So, rather than stay up and ponder what he had read, Harry took down the briefest of notes on the subject before turning in for the night, electing to simply stay in the castle.

As he slept, Harry's dreams were haunted by the image of the Phantom, the man in the mask. He appeared to be leading the Masters of Death currently and it was he who Harry was going to have to find.


	11. Chapter 11

During Harry Potter's schooling at Hogwarts, the classroom was where he had often felt the least comfortable. Compared to the pureblood families who had clearly trained their children well in advance of their time at school and students like Hermione who had the work ethic to destroy any competitive advantage those families may have had, Harry found himself stuck in some sort of purgatory in between them; not working hard enough to catch up with Hermione but magically powerful enough to keep up with those who had a head start against him.

Thankfully, the one benefit of Harry's year away from the world was the amount of learning that Harry had done. That, combined with Harry's training at the Auror Academy, changed Harry. In just one year, Harry went from being a barely above average wizard in the field of Defense Against the Dark Arts to the Ministry's leading adviser on all Dark threats. Even Hermione Granger couldn't hold a candle to the sheer breadth of knowledge that Harry held in this one particular subject.

This change in Harry had meant that the classroom, a place where Harry had previously felt high levels of discomfort, was now one of his sanctuaries. In fact, it had taken him only a few weeks into his first year teaching at Hogwarts before Harry felt more comfortable there than he did on a Quidditch pitch, one of the most peaceful places Harry could have possibly imagined.

So, when Harry's advanced class finally began, he was able to walk back into the Defense classroom, feeling as if he had never left. Surprisingly, when he and Padma walked into the room, all _four_ of their students were seated in front row. As Harry set his things down, Padma handed him five Galleons, the result of a bet between the two of them over whether or not James Cresswell would arrive to class on time.

After taking a moment to collect himself, Harry turned towards his students before raising his wand. In an instant, every desk in the room vanished, including those that held his students who promptly collapsed to the floor.

"This class will meet three times a week for two hours." Harry started sternly. "For two of those classes, Professor Patil will lead you through your coursework, learning Auror procedures, general tactics, counters to Dark magic and things of that nature. Each Friday, I will come in and teach you that learning the theory behind these things means absolutely nothing in regards to your success in this class."

Harry took a moment to look at each student as he spoke. Sam Wood looked predictably determined, hanging off each word that Harry spoke. Harry's greatest fear for the boy was that his determination to live up to his brother's name would mean his failure, a result of him pressing himself too hard. On the other hand, Brandon stood passively, clearly unimpressed with the show that Harry was putting on. Kara held her wand in her hand, his finger gently tapping it. It was clear that among the four, she was the most prepared for the reality of this class where students would be pressed to the extent of their abilities. The fact that she seemed ready to defend herself at a moment's notice was her first instinct certainly boded well for her.

Still, James Cresswell confused him. He also had his wand out but it hung limply to his side as if a light breeze would blow it out of his hand. Also, James appeared to be staring off into the space behind Harry instead of looking directly at him.

"This class will challenge you more than the rest of your coursework combined. It will be the most mentally demanding and physically exhausting class you will ever take. At the end of every month, there will be a test. These tests will be practical and demand that you apply what you have learned to a live situation. Unlike every other test offered at Hogwarts, this test only has two grades: pass or fail. If you pass, you will continue. If you fail, you will not."

"Wait, what?" Kara asked suddenly. "If we fail the test, we're kicked out of the class?"

"Correct, Ms. Wilde." Harry replied sternly. "My goal with this class is not to send a group of ill-prepared children to the Auror Academy. In fact, quite the opposite, I wish to send students who will make the record score for the final practical exam look minuscule in comparison."

"Sir, didn't you set the record score?" Brandon asked nervously.

"I did." Harry said with a grin. "However, I only set that record because I had learned far more about Defense than any student had ever been expected to learn before. That is no longer the case. When you finish this course, _if you finish it,_ you will know more than I could have possibly imagined when compared to myself as a seventeen year old."

Harry smiled as he turned and withdrew a letter from his bag, showing it to this small class.

"I have also been assured by the Head of the Auror Office herself that anyone who manages to pass this class will get an automatic admission to the Auror Academy, tuition-free."

That certainly got the attention of his students who perked up at that news. Even Cresswell seemed to finally have his attention set firmly on Harry.

"I will be very honest with you." Harry replied as he leaned on the desk behind him. "If more than one of you pass this class, I will be amazed. It takes an amazing amount of skill, luck, logic and knowledge to become an Auror. However, take heart in knowing that even if you fail this class, you will likely easily pass the Auror Academy Admissions Test, although you will obviously be paying your own way into the Academy."

With another flip of his wand, the desk behind Harry slid against the wall and the podium that Padma typically used for class floated itself behind him and on top of the desk. As that happened, Harry walked to one end of the large empty space.

"Now, who will duel with me?"

As expected, no one jumped forward. Harry internally reminded himself that he would need to return one Galleon to Padma because Harry had all but guaranteed her that Cresswell would jump forward.

"As I expected." Harry said with a chuckle. "From this day forward, the four of you are a team. Remember this."

Then, without warning, Harry flipped a Stunner at Padma who, according to their plan, allowed herself to be hit with the curse. As she collapsed to the ground, Harry turned and fired another Stunner at Wood, who deftly (and silently) blocked it. It took them a moment to realize the weight of Harry's words.

They were a team. Once it was clear that Harry was going to attempt to take them down, they understood.

What they didn't do was react well. Instead of attempting to coordinate an attack, they all just took to firing curses and hexes at Harry at will. While Harry had to admit that a few of them were rather powerful for a seventh year, even the combined efforts of the four students couldn't even begin to break through Harry's shields.

As they continued to fire one spell after another, Harry pressed them back until finally Harry stood alone in the lecture space with his four students standing where the first tier of desks normally resided. To anyone that didn't understand the flow of dueling or the extent of Harry's skill, they may have thought that Harry was in trouble. In truth, Harry was simply biding his time.

After several minutes of relentless assault, Harry could sense the timing of their attack coming further and further apart. Finally, Harry broke his shield with a single blast, throwing their spells into the floor and ceiling and creating a small shockwave that knocked all four students off balance.

That was all the advantage Harry needed as he quickly Stunned all four students.

After ensuring that everyone was alright, Harry revived all four students along with Padma and provided seats for all of them. The act of being Stunned wasn't particularly any fun and wasn't something that he hoped any of them had been familiar with prior to today.

As they all sat down, Harry conjured a chair for himself and sat in front of them. When he saw that they all had water and had calmed down a bit, he offered a very simple question.

"Why did you lose?"

A single hand went up from Kara Wilde.

"No need to raise your hand in this class, Ms. Wilde. This room will always be an open discussion. Express yourself whenever you feel you must."

"We lost because we weren't good enough."

"Well, that certainly is true." Harry smirked. "Although I believe that you and I have a different definition of what we mean."

"I'm not sure what you mean, sir."

"Before I explain, any other guesses?" Harry asked the other three.

"We didn't work together." James replied, speaking for the first time.

"That's not true." Harry answered. "You all focused your attacks at the same target with great vigor."

"We were distracted by Professor Patil's Stunning?" Brandon asked rather than answered.

"Possibly. Do you think that is why I Stunned her?"

Silence answered him.

"So you know, I Stunned Professor Patil so that way you wouldn't think there was someone that would rescue you when things didn't go well. From now on, that will be the case. If you go down, you go down but you will do it on your own."

Again, no one seemed to have an answer.

"You did work together, even if you didn't articulate a plan." Harry complimented them. "You may have been distracted but you didn't let it show, which I commend you for. But Ms. Wilde was correct: you weren't good enough. Now, can someone tell me why? What is something you could have done _differently?"_

Suddenly, it seemed as if a light clicked on inside Kara's mind.

"We never changed our attacks."

"How so?" Harry asked with excitement.

"From the beginning of the battle until the end, we all just stood and threw curses at you. We never tried anything different."

"Exactly!" Harry replied as he jumped from his chair. "This is your first and arguably your most important lesson of this class: Be adaptable. If you do not change, if you do not adapt: you will lose. It's as simple as that. Sometimes, it's the most unusual of tactics that achieve your goals. Rather than simply trying to Stun someone, you could throw books at them, summon birds to attack them, set the ground around them on fire, turn the ground to ice. Anything that can give you a distraction or an advantage is what we're looking for. Because it's possible that one day, you walk into battle against someone who is more powerful than you. On that day, simply trying to Stun them won't work. You'll have to be cleverer than that."

"How do we learn that?" Cresswell asked. It was rare to see the boy vested in anything academic but it was clear that for the first time, he was really listening. Maybe it was learning how to avoid his father's fate or maybe the idea of being an Auror was just that important to him but whatever it was, something had changed inside the boy.

"You learn that by being here three days a week."

* * *

That night, Harry and Hermione got to do something that hadn't happened once since the start of the school year: spend a night at home, doing absolutely nothing. As a result, Harry had spent much of the evening listening to the Chudley Cannons' match on the wireless while Hermione had spent her night reading a new biography that had come out on Armando Dippet.

For several hours, the conversation was rather limited as they simply enjoyed the presence of the other without the stress of work. However, as the night wore on, Harry's mind drifted back to the problems of the world. From the moment that the match no longer captured his attention, Hermione was aware. Slowly, she put the book down and poked Harry's arm.

"What's the matter?" she asked.

"Nothing." Harry replied, attempting to deflect. Harry wanted tonight to be relaxing and the thoughts going through his mind were anything but relaxing.

"Liar." Hermione teased.

"You don't want to know." Harry answered seriously.

"So it's Ginny." Hermione said as she pulled her feet from Harry's lap and set her book on the table in front of them. "What's on your mind?"

"I just can't get over the fact that I saw her." Harry replied, almost to himself. "She was right there, in front of me, just like you are."

"I know."

"Where is she now?"

"Do you think I know?" Hermione asked suspiciously.

"No." Harry admitted. "If you did, you would have told me. I don't doubt that, Hermione."

"Good."

"The whole thing just rubs me the wrong way."

"Of course it does." Hermione whispered. "She's a friend."

"You know it's slightly more complicated than that."

"I know." Hermione admitted. "You thought you were going to marry her."

"I did. I even went to look for rings a few weeks after the Battle of Hogwarts. But then things went downhill so quickly and I just couldn't do it anymore."

"Then she went to South America."

"I'm happier now than I ever could have imagined being with her." Harry said, reassuring Hermione. "This isn't me wondering what might have been. This is just me saying that this is more complicated than her being just a friend. If she had stayed around, she probably would have been my best friend other than you."

"What about this bugs you? That we can't find her?"

"No." Harry admitted.

"Then what is it?" Hermione asked. "You talked to Kathryn about it, right?"

"Yes."

"You gave them all of the information you could, correct?"

"Yes." Harry repeated.

"She assured you they would make it a top priority?"

"Yes."

"Then you've done everything you can."

"Not everything." Harry countered.

Suddenly, a look of realization crossed Hermione's face as she understood just what was going through Harry's mind, the real reason why he was still distracted by this.

"You don't feel like you're doing enough because you're not personally out there looking for her." Hermione said, finally reading Harry's mind.

"No one knows her better than me. No one with my skill level anyway."

"Yes but you have responsibilities, Harry, and you can't just walk away from them so that you can go traipsing across Europe to find Ginny."

"Dumbledore left Hogwarts all the time."

"To look for Horcruxes. He was trying to end Voldemort. It wasn't personal."

"It wasn't? You believe that ending Voldemort wasn't personal for Dumbledore?"

"Of course it was personal." Hermione answered, backtracking slightly as she explained herself. "It was personal but it didn't relate only to him."

"What makes you think that this relates only to me?" Harry asked. "I'm fairly certain that the entire country should be concerned with the Masters of Death."

"But it's not the Masters of Death that you're worried about."

"Of course it is." Harry said dismissively.

"But it's not the first thing on your mind, is it? The first thing on your mind is Ginny."

"Of course it is!" Harry exploded. "She's been kidnapped."

"Has she?"

"They took her with them!"

"You don't know that!" Hermione answered, finally matching Harry's volume. "You know that they left and so did she! But you don't know if they took her or if she got away!"

"If she got away, she would have found us by now."

"Maybe, maybe not. She's been away for three years, Harry." Hermione replied. "There's another possibility to consider."

"What is that?" Harry asked gruffly.

"That...that she is with the Masters of Death now."

Harry nearly fell out of his chair. Hermione Granger, probably the person in the world who was closest to Ginny Weasley, was suggesting that Ginny was now a terrorist?

"No." Harry said simply.

"Harry-"

"No, 'Mione, you don't get to accuse her of that. You don't."

"It's not an accusation." Hermione replied.

"You just said that she might have been with the Masters of Death!"

"Well fine, then it is an accusation. But you have to look at all the options, Harry. Isn't that what you tell your students all the time? _Look at all your options, see the whole board,_ things of that nature. Why is it with Ginny you can't even acknowledge that has an option?"

Harry stood and marched across the room to the window where he stirred Hermione's question in mind. As he did, she continued.

"The way you describe seeing her; it doesn't sound like her."

"How so?" Harry asked.

"Crying? Afraid? I've never known Ginny to be either of those things."

"Neither have I." Harry admitted. "But maybe it's possible that she knows just how big a threat the Masters are to the rest of the world."

"Maybe? But if she was being held by the Masters, don't you think she would be trying to get out?"

"They said as much."

"Then where are the marks? The bruises? She certainly would have them from her attempted escapes."

"Maybe they'll heal her."

"Yes but eventually your body can only handle so much magical healing at a time." Hermione countered. "If you repeatedly try to heal your body over a short period of time, it will still heal the bones and muscles but it's going to leave a scar."

"I'm well aware of that." Harry said.

"Then where are the scars?"

"Maybe she hasn't tried to escape often?"

"And that sounds like Ginny Weasley to you?" Hermione asked earnestly as she made her way next to Harry. "Ginny would do anything for her family. If she thought the Masters would be a risk to them, she would sacrifice any amount of bodily pain to return to them, to warn them."

"I don't disagree." Harry replied, his mind starting to turn at the thought that Hermione's logic, as always, made more and more sense.

"Then where are the scars? If you're the Masters of Death, when you make your grand entrance, aren't you going to want the world to know that you've captured one of England's most famous young witches? That would mean keeping her close. If she had been trying to run, then they would have stopped her. Forcibly."

Harry couldn't argue with Hermione about this. It's not that he believed that she was right. It was the fact that he knew that he couldn't prove her wrong.

"But what if you're wrong?" Harry asked. "What if you're wrong and she really does need our help?"

"I think she needs our help either way, Harry."

* * *

Harry slept restlessly that night. As images of the Weasleys, Ginny, Dumbledore and Hermione flashed through his head, Harry's mind focused in on the single image of Grindelwald that he had seen through Voldemort's eyes. Even in his sleep, Harry couldn't avoid fixating on the ancient wizard and his prior relationship with Dumbledore.

However, before Harry's dream state could affect him too much, he was suddenly jerked away. Without thinking, Harry's wand lurched from his side and jabbed into the neck of the person who woke him. Thankfully, Harry stopped from cursing the person just long enough to see that it was Ron.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Harry barked, trying not to wake Hermione.

"You have to go."

"Go where?"

"Old Ministry Headquarters." Ron said softly. "The Masters of Death attacked it."

Harry rolled over to Hermione, shaking her awake and explaining as much as he knew. With a wave of his wand, the lights were on and Harry was dressing as Ron explained as much as he knew.

"It was just after one in the morning. They all came through the Floo, which should have been impossible at that time of the night."

"How many?"

"No idea." Ron admitted. "There was no one there."

"Then how do we know it was the Masters?"

"They left their mark." Ron said, knowing that was all he would need to say. "As one of the Department Heads in the building, I was notified that there was someone in the building after dark which has been against regulations since-"

"Since we broke into the Department of Mysteries." Harry cut in. "Why am I being called in?"

"Diggory asked for both of you at the request of both Charles Hope and Kathryn." Ron answered.

"Is Diggory at the scene?"

"No. He was there for a moment before Kathryn instructed the Aurors to take him home. She's running the scene and there's nothing he can do."

"I'm sure he's happy about that." Hermione replied, her voice thick with the effects of being woken abruptly at three in the morning.

"I doubt he's happy anytime someone goes over his head but there are protocols for this kind of thing. He can't be present in case there is some kind of follow-up. Plus, with him being the Minister, his home is probably the safest place in the country outside of Hogwarts and Grimmauld Place."

Harry couldn't argue against the logic of any of that. Also, knowing that Diggory wasn't going to be there to butt heads with made Harry much calmer.

"Are you ready?" Harry asked Hermione as he finished pulling on his robes.

"Yes." Hermione replied before turning to Ron. "Can we Apparate there?"

"I can." Ron admitted. "Samantha Lyman brought me into the temporary wards so that I could bring the two of you."

"Then let's go." Harry said as he grabbed Ron's arm. Once Hermione had taken the other, Ron turned and just a beat later, the three of them landed in the center of the Ministry's former Atrium. While this building was still a Ministry facility, it saw a much smaller use now that most of the senior administrative offices had been moved to a more secure facility.

In fact, this evening the building probably saw more simultaneous users than it had since the move.

Unfortunately, Harry lacked the time to consider this as he pushed through the crowd to where Kathryn stood. As he did, he looked around and noticed that for the most part, the room looked normal. Only on the far wall did Harry notice that something was amiss.

Instead of the normal poster that typically showed the face of the Minister of Magic, now there was a charred piece of fabric that hung loosely from the wall. In the center, cut into the burned fabric, was the mark of the Deathly Hallows.

Or The Masters of Death.

"Harry, you're here!" Kathryn shouted in relief as Harry approached quickly.

"What happened?"

"We're still not exactly sure. They entered the building about an hour ago through the Floo."

"Which shouldn't be possible." Ron exclaimed.

"Correct." Kathryn replied as she started moving. Harry and Hermione quickly followed. "Once they were in, they moved to the lifts and went down to the bottom floors where the Department of Mysteries offices once were."

"Where are they now?" Harry asked.

"Only employees of the Department know." Kathryn admitted. "Not even the Minister has access to that information. It's safer this way."

"I suppose." Harry replied, not entirely sure if he agreed. "So, they went down to the Department of Mysteries and did what?"

"Nothing."

"Excuse me?" Hermione asked.

"Nothing that we can see." Kathryn replied again. "They may have tried to enter but the old Department of Mysteries facility has been emptied and magically sealed. They're useless now."

"To us, maybe, but not to someone else." Hermione reminded her.

"After they went down there, where did they go?"

"The former administrative wing. We think they had to have split up in order to pull this off."

"Why there?" Ron wondered.

"Can't be sure of that either." Kathryn admitted.

"Is it possible that this is all some sort of elaborate hoax? A distraction of some kind?" Harry asked.

"I suppose it could be." Kathryn said. "But why?"

"That I don't know." Harry admitted. "Most of this building is shuttered up. Both of the places that they went to meant something to the Ministry when it was housed here. But they picked the Ministry building that was the easiest to get into."

"How do you know that?"

"I'm fairly well versed in magic of this kind." Harry said. "Apparition wards are almost impossible to affect without being present, something that wouldn't be possible without being inside the building itself. The entrances are magically sealed when the last person leaves and are exceedingly challenging to alter."

"But the Floo?"

"Floo magic is inherently easy to manipulate. It has to be otherwise it wouldn't work inside people's homes. This all seems too bizarre."

"Like it's a distraction of some kind?" Hermione replied, both reading Harry's mind and finishing his thought.

"A distraction against what?" Kathryn wondered aloud.

"I have no idea." Harry whispered.

Each of the four wondered to themselves for a moment what the angle could be that the Masters of Death were trying to take. If it truly was a distraction, then what were they planning? Why choose a nearly abandoned Ministry office to attack in the first place?

But the thing that bothered Harry most was the symbol of the Deathly Hallows, burned into the banner of the Minister of Magic.

Suddenly, a terrifying thought occurred to Harry.

"Why did they take credit for it?" Harry asked as he marched back towards the center of the Atrium.

"Take credit?" Ron asked.

"They could have left the building unmarked. We would have known that someone was here but not known it was them. Instead, they burned their mark into a banner on the wall."

"They wanted us to know they were here." Hermione reasoned. "It's the only thing that makes sense."

Suddenly, Kathryn caught on to where Harry's mind was going.

"But not just that they were here…."

"But who their target is." Harry finished, before pointing his wand at the banner which fixed itself to include the face of Amos Diggory towering over them.

"Merlin." Hermione whispered as she finally understood just what Harry meant.

"Are you saying-" Ron went to ask before Harry interrupted him.

"Are we still keyed into your parent's wards?" Harry questioned urgently.

"Of course."

"Great." Harry said before grabbing Ron and Hermione and turning in place, landing in the front lawn of the Burrow. Thankfully, Ron's family home appeared to be fine. But after turning, Harry could see flames off in the distance.

"Dammit." Harry muttered to himself before turning to Ron. "Send your Patronus to Kathryn, tell her to send her men here. Once you've done that, tell your Mum to open the wards."

"But-"

"I'll replace them at the end of the night." Harry replied before turning to Hermione. "Come with me."

"Where are we going?"

"We are going to the Diggory home. You are going to remain on the parameter with this and tell me everything that's going on." Harry replied, handing her an Ear.

"Harry, I can come with you."

"We're not seventeen anymore, Hermione." Harry replied softly. "We can't hide from them. Besides, I am the most skilled combatant we have. Anything that challenges me in those hallways will go down. Hard. I need to know if they're going to try and outnumber me."

"Fine." Hermione grumbled. "How are we going to get there?"

"Already taken care of." Harry said with a grin before waving his wand. Seconds later, two brooms appeared from the shed out back.

"You keep your broom here?" Hermione asked.

"Don't have much use for it at home, now do I?"

"I suppose not." Hermione replied, tentatively getting onto her broom. Once Harry saw that she was on her broom, he took off, screaming across the sky towards the Diggory home.

As Harry got closer, he could see a collection of a dozen or so figures floating in the sky, brooms between their legs. Thankfully, Harry was likely the best flier and best duelist in the group. As they approached, Harry barked out an order to Hermione.

"Stay back, Hermione. Don't let them see you."

Without waiting for a reply, Harry pressed forward, flying faster than he had ever done before. Just before Harry reached the house, the Masters realized that something was coming.

Unfortunately for them, they were far too slow to react as Harry burst through the line around the burning house and crashed straight through a window, shield charm protecting him from harm. As he entered the house, Harry leapt off the broom before Banishing it back to Burrow with a single flip of the wand.

Standing, Harry realized that he was not alone in the room. In fact, there were three Masters already firing curses at him, thankfully unable to see due to the fire and smoke clouding their vision. With a single wave of his wand, Harry blew out of the fire and created a large enough blast that his three attackers were thrown against the wall and knocked unconscious.

With them taken care of, Harry waved his wand again, revealing that there were people on the top floor. Rather than waste time running up the stairs, Harry aimed his wand at the ceiling and carved out a hole before Apparating himself into the space that he saw above.

Once he was there, Harry saw exactly who he was looking for. Amos Diggory stood surrounded, six opponents threatening him. Amazingly, Diggory was holding his own, not doing much in the way of damage but his defensive capabilities were enough to prevent them from doing any as well.

Raising his wand, Harry fired a single Stunner that hit the man closest to him before racing into the room and joining Diggory at the center of the circle.

"Downey called you?" Diggory growled.

"She did. You can thank me later."

"If we make it out of here alive, I'll thank you." Diggory admitted before pressing forward.

Harry had to admit: Amos Diggory was a very talented duelist. Once he had the support of Harry, he took care of three of the rest of the bunch, leaving only two for Harry. In fact, it took the two of them only moments to take care of the group.

Normally, Harry would have complimented the man but the fact that the house around them was literally on fire, Harry thought it best to wait. Both Harry and Diggory made for the door went a hole was blown into the wall behind them, causing the whole house to shake.

Turning, Harry saw the one person that he didn't want to see: The Phantom. He flew in gently on his gorgeously crafted broom before he handed in to the Master who flew in next to him. Carrying the broom, the other Master left, leaving just the three of them.

"I came here for the Minister of Magic." The Phantom said, his voice still magically altered. "Who knew that I could have Harry Potter too?"

"You can't have either of us." Diggory growled.

"Unlikely." The Phantom taunted before his eyes turned to Harry. "Didn't I warn you? I gave you a chance to walk away from this."

"You knew that I wouldn't." Harry said coldly.

"Alas, I did." The Phantom said with glee. "Now, I get to kill both of you."

The Phantom drew his wand and fired at Harry who easily dodged the attack and returned one of his own. As Harry finished, so did the Minister of Magic who easily fought by Harry's side, holding his own.

The Phantom was good, that was easy enough to see. However, the man lacked speed to his casting, allowing a noticeable gap in between spells that Harry was able to easily take advantage of.

Unfortunately, Diggory wasn't.

In a moment of poor decision making, Diggory attempted to disarm The Phantom.

Instead, The Phantom disarmed him, his wand flying high into the air. Instantly, Harry stepped in between The Phantom and The Minister, his body shielding Diggory from harm.

"You need to get out of here." Harry growled as he continued to press on.

"And go where? They have the place surrounded." Diggory replied.

"The Aurors will be here soon." Harry said.

Unfortunately, the conversation meant that Harry wasn't paying all of his attention on the battle and a curse slipped under his shields, throwing Harry across the room into the wall.

His vision tripled as Harry hit the wall. Reaching out for his wand, Harry found nothing but hard wood and burning rubble, his hands scalding at the touch of things around him.

"The great Harry Potter...I told you this would be your end." The Phantom said condescendingly.

Harry watched helplessly as The Phantom drew his wand, screamed some curse that Harry didn't recognize and then fired. The curse was black, like smoke with purpose, channeled toward him.

Despite the fact that he knew that whatever this was would likely end his life, Harry couldn't seem to move. With every second that he wasted, the curse grew closer and yet Harry remained stationary, frozen at the thought that after surviving Voldemort and Malfoy, this would finally be his end.

Then Amos Diggory stepped in front of the dark magic.

As Amos collapsed to the floor, Harry finally located his wand next to him and raised his wand, blasting The Phantom out of the hole in the wall. Harry held no hope of thinking that he had managed to end The Phantom, knowing that he had only bought some time.

Hopefully it would be enough.

Once Harry was certain that The Phantom wouldn't be returning instantly, Harry looked at the Minister. The curse flayed the skin from the front of his body, causing blood to drain instantly. As Harry rolled him over, his face was red with no skin to be found. Suddenly, Diggory began convulsing in his arms, shaking as the blood loss plunged his body into shock.

Then just as suddenly, the Minister of Magic stopped moving. After a beat, he began shaking once more as if some sort of current ran through him before collapsing once more motionless.

For a moment, Harry didn't know what to do. Then, the house around him began to shake.

" _Harry!"_ Hermione's voice shouted in his ear. _"The house is coming down!"_

He had moments. He could likely only Apparate Diggory once. Any more than that and the effort involved would guarantee death for the Minister of Magic. Harry felt the house start to teeter as if it would collapse in moments.

Thinking quickly, Harry barked out to Hermione.

"Diggory is down. I'm taking him to St. Mungo's."

" _Can you Apparate that far with someone?"_

"We're going to find out." Harry replied before grabbing hold of the Minister of Magic and turning.

Moments after Harry disappeared, the house creaked one final time and then collapsed onto itself, no longer a house but instead the world's largest bonfire.

* * *

Three hours later, the waiting room at St. Mungo's had been restricted to all but a very select group of people. Samantha Lyman and Charles Hope, Amos' top advisers, paced the room, occasionally whispering to each other. Kathryn and Hermione sat on the far side of the room, neither speaking much. Ron had unfortunately been barred from the room, leaving Harry with Tiberius Ogden. Kingsley had been in and out of the room a bit over the last three hours working with Kathryn.

Overall, no one had said much of anything. About an hour earlier, someone had finally come to look at Harry's hand, which he had healed on his own, to ensure that nothing further was going to be a problem. Other than that, the room had been largely silent.

Finally, the lead Healer on duty appeared from behind a pair of double doors and approached the group.

"How is he?" Samantha asked, obviously concerned.

"I am...unsure how to answer that question." the Healer replied, his voice soft and uncertain.

"Why?" Harry asked.

"Because the Minister's body is still being actively damaged." the Healer answered. "Whatever magic was used on him was among the Darkest in existence. Some sort of parasitic blast that did an impressive amount of initial damage but seems to be doing more as the night goes on."

"Do you know how to stop it, Michael?" Charles Hope asked, obviously knowing the Healer in question.

"No." Healer Michael answered sadly. "Every fifteen minutes or so, the curse covers another few inches of skin, searing it away and leaving nothing but muscle and bone. At this rate, he won't have any skin left by morning."

"Can you heal the damage after the fact?" Hermione questioned.

"Incrementally, yes. But his body is rejecting treatment at a rate faster than we can heal him." Healer Michael answered matter-of-factly. "Simply put, The Minister of Magic will bleed out before the curse runs its course. This curse is designed to be fatal but exceedingly slow. If the world knew more about this kind of magic, there might be something we can do. As it is, we're looking at something foreign, arcane and Dark, something we aren't equipped for."

The news that Amos Diggory was going to die was shocking. Harry certainly didn't love the man. To be honest, he didn't really even respect him. But he ultimately knew that they were both on the same side. Even when Ginny had accused one of the Minister of Magic candidates of being part of the Masters of Death, Harry had never assumed Amos to be on the list.

"Headmaster?"

The quiet voice of Healer Michael broke through Harry's thoughts.

"Yes?"

"The Minister of Magic would like to see you."

"He's awake?" Harry asked in awe.

"Barely." Michael admitted. "He probably has about an hour left of consciousness before his body is too tired to stay awake. He's asked to see you the very moment you are free."

"I'll see him now." Harry replied, dumbfounded that in his last moments, Amos Diggory would ask to see him.

Following Healer Michael, they made their way to a very small examination room out of the way of the general traffic of the hospital. Two Aurors, who nodded politely at Harry as he walked by, guarded the door.

Entering the room, Harry was surprised to see Amos Diggory sitting upright, his face almost entirely covered in bandages which were already bleeding through. It showed just how desperate they were that they had resorted to Muggle methods of healing to attempt to save him.

Walking in, Harry took a seat next to Diggory. His eyes were closed and he appeared to be in an immense amount of pain judging by the constant grip on his jaw. Suddenly, Harry became acutely aware of the fact that this could have...should have been him. This curse was intended for him.

Instead, Amos Diggory would suffer.

"Amos?" Harry whispered softly.

"No reason to whisper, Headmaster. My hearing is fine." Amos replied, a slight grimace on his face which Harry took as a grin.

"You wished to see me."

"I know about the letter that you got from Ms. Weasley."

"How?"

"She sent it from my office." Amos reminded him. "She may have been able to get in but that didn't mean that we didn't have eyes on the room."

"What do you think about it?"

"I think it's awfully convenient that Samantha Lyman will be the Minister of Magic in less than a day." Amos answered, his eyes opening for the first time.

"It certainly does bear thinking about."

"Thinking about? Potter, I know you better than that. The very moment you've considered conspiracies in the past, you jumped at the chance to bring them down. What's different about this one?"

"I don't have a strong inclination one way or another." Harry admitted. "All in all, Samantha Lyman appears to be a wholly devoted public servant."

"It's possible." Amos whispered. "Look into it, will you?"

"Is that an order?"

"It is. The last one I'll be able to give you."

"You haven't given me many direct orders in the past, sir." Harry replied.

"I am keenly aware of that fact." Amos choked out, blood spattering on his shirt.

"Is that sore spot for you?"

"No." Amos admitted. "You know, when Minerva told me she was retiring, she also told me that you were going to replace her."

"Is that all she said?" Harry asked coyly.

"Not at all. She said that Hogwarts would have no greater champion that Harry Potter. It would mean having a great ally if I chose...or a great enemy."

"I guess we know which way you chose."

"I guess." Amos admitted. "I couldn't get the image of Cedric out of my mind. I thought that I had gotten away from blaming you for his death. I was wrong."

Harry never thought that he would hear Amos talk about Cedric again, let alone to him personally. It was well known among Ministry staffer that few topics were as taboo in Amos' Ministry than his deceased son.

"Do you remember what I was like when I came back from the graveyard? I was distraught, Amos." Harry reminded him. "I had convinced him to take that cup. It was my fault that he was there. But it was Voldemort's fault that he was dead."

"I'm aware. I know that I wasn't being logical by blaming you for all these years. But this was my only child, Harry. There's no logic to losing your only child."

"I can't imagine." Harry admitted.

"I pray that you never have to."

Amos winced suddenly as his back arched away from his bed in pain. As Harry looked at his back, he saw that the bandages that were covering him were caked in blood, doing almost nothing to slow the bleeding.

"We could end this earlier, Amos. There's no reason for you to suffer."

"It's not suffering."

"Then what is it?"

"The final reminder of the choice that I made."

"Why did you make that choice, Amos?" Harry asked, desperate to know why a man that resented him with such intensity had sacrificed himself for him.

"Because I watched you duel that man and knew that you were the only one who could take him on." Amos said, coughing weakly. "As I saw him fire that curse, I realized that I was expendable and you were not."

Slowly, Amos reached for a folder on his side table. He gently handed it to Harry.

"This is my final act as Minister of Magic." Amos explained. "I am pardoning Ginny Weasley of all crimes committed prior to and subsequent to her imprisonment in return for her actions in defending the Ministry from external threats. Give this to her when you find her."

"Amos, I don't know what to say." Harry replied, honestly too shocked to speak.

"Say you'll find these bastards and put them down."

"You know I will." Harry resolved.

"Good. Now get the hell out of here." Amos chuckled, coughing up blood as he did.

Harry decided to follow one final order from the Minister of Magic. Standing, Harry made his way to the door when Amos left him with one parting note.

"At least I get to see my son again."


	12. Chapter 12

_THE DEATH OF A POLITICAL TITAN_

_Written by Benjamin Cuffe and Pansy Parkinson_

_This morning, in the earliest hours of the night, a group of magical terrorists known only as The Masters of Death invaded the home of Minister of Magic Amos Diggory. After a midnight raid at the former headquarters of the Ministry of Magic, a group of nearly thirty surrounded the Minister's home, setting it on fire before invading it and attacking the Minister himself._

_The Minister was protected on the scene by no less than the Headmaster of Hogwarts, Harry Potter. Called in to assist with the investigation into the intrusion at the Ministry, Mr. Potter connected the dots between that assault and a potential attack on the Minister and sought to intervene._

_Also present at the scene was Arithmancy Professor, former Head of the Department of Magical Education and Mr. Potter's partner, Hermione Granger._

_No one other than Mr. Potter is certain what happened during his time in the house. However, when he did escape the house, he did so by Apparating to St. Mungo's, the mangled body of our beloved Minister in tow._

_Mr. Potter was overheard saying that the Minister was attacked by some sort of dark curse._

_The result of which was the death of the Minister of Magic sometime after nine this morning. Present at the time were Mr. Potter and Ms. Granger, along with Samantha Lyman and Charles Hope._

_The death of the Minister leaves behind an enormous hole in the middle of the Ministry, especially when you consider Ms. Granger's recent exit from the Ministry. This places the national focus solely on the young Samantha Lyman. Two years ago, she was an aide working for the Department of Magical Education._

_Yesterday, she was Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement._

_This afternoon, she will be sworn in by Wizengamot Chair Tiberius Ogden as our new Minister of Magic according to new laws passed that state the second highest in total votes would take over for the Minister in the case of absence or death. That means that the young Ms. Lyman, a woman who has led a department for a grand total of fourteen months, will be our Minister of Magic._

_However, another question remains unanswered in this story. There are unconfirmed reports that one of the Minister's last conversations was with Mr. Potter, a known political adversary. The tension between the Minister of Magic and the Headmaster of Hogwarts has been noticeable, especially when unconfirmed sources report that Mr. Potter was using his considerable influence to force the Minister of Magic into certain actions by delaying any potential political aspirations he may have until after Mr. Diggory's time in office was over._

_Also in question is the report coming out of the office of the Minister of Magic this morning that the last thing Amos Diggory signed was a pardon of Ginerva Weasley. As we all know, Ginny Weasley is a close friend of Mr. Potter's and a known terrorist. Is it possible that in the Minister's last hours, Mr. Potter leaned on a dying man to ensure the pardon of a close friend? In the past, we may not have thought it possible from The Chosen One. But as reports come forward that tell us that Mr. Potter may not be the man we thought, one can only ask just what_ _else_ _is Mr. Potter hiding from us?_

Harry threw the paper away from him, tired of reading the trash that Pansy Parkinson and her like printed.

"Fucking Parkinson." Harry growled as Hermione slapped his knee slightly.

The pair were sitting, with Ron and Angelina, inside the living space of their small Hogsmeade flat. It was just after one in the afternoon but it looked like the morning routine was just starting for the four of them. After waiting until Amos had finally passed on, Harry and Hermione had returned home and found Ron and Angelina waiting on them.

Rather than wait up and talk then, Harry ordered Ron and Angelina to their guest bedroom where they had stayed the night. The last thing Harry had done before going to bed was sending an owl to Gemma confirming that he wouldn't be in the building at all the following day and that she could forward any questions she had to him.

Finally, with all of them awake, Ron and Angelina could ask all of the questions they wanted.

"What happens now?" Angelina muttered to herself.

The vibe in the room was very strange. None of them had particularly like Amos Diggory, as a Minister of Magic or as a person. Yet, an air of mourning definitely hung over the room. Whether it was the fact that he had stepped in front of a curse meant for Harry or the simple fact that against the Masters of Death, he was almost certainly an ally, Harry couldn't be sure. But still, it felt like he was in mourning for someone he had regularly disrespected in life.

But Harry also remembered the last conversation he had with the man. It had been a very frank and honest affair between two men with nothing to hold back.

But the one line that stuck in the back of Harry's head was his reply to Harry's comment that he couldn't imagine losing his only child.

" _I pray that you never have to."_

This wasn't the comment of a man who hated him. Certainly, there was an amount of animosity between the two of them that would never been overlooked but that simple sentence definitely changed how he felt about Amos.

It was proof that even men and women who disagreed constantly could find something that they could agree on. Proof that even political enemies weren't actually enemies.

They just believed in different things being done in different ways, a rather minuscule difference in the grand scheme of things.

"We move on." Harry steeled himself. "We don't have a choice."

"We'll go a day without a Minister." Hermione commented.

"Why?" Harry asked.

"The Wizengamot will observe tradition, something that Pansy, despite her years of Pureblood prancing, doesn't know much about." Ron replied.

"What tradition?" Harry asked.

"When a Minister of Magic dies, the Wizengamot holds all business for one day. The entire Ministry shuts down for one day to honor the loss of their head. Then, at the start of business the next day, the new Minister of Magic is sworn in."

"This was done to give them more time to find a new Minister, wasn't it?" Angelina asked.

"You bet your ass it was." Hermione said with a sad grin. "Still, it's a good message to send. Everyone, even those that disagreed with him, stopped for an entire day. Then, we move on."

"Can Samantha handle this?" Ron wondered aloud. "She's brilliant but she doesn't seem to be the type to lead a country like this."

"I'm more concerned with the fact that if I'm right, there's a one out of three chance that Samantha Lyman is working with, if not directly for, the Masters of Death." Harry replied as he stood and began to pace. "I would bet my life on Amos Diggory being the most independent Minister in the history of our country. He even ran his own campaigns!"

"We need to talk to Daphne." Hermione stated. "Did you ever talk to her about finding more information on Ginny?"

"No, we had talked about it and then that evening was when Ginny contacted me."

"Then that needs done." Hermione replied.

"Agreed." Harry answered before turning back to Ron. "To answer your actual question, I worked with Samantha a bit while she was still at the Department of Magical Education. She's sharp. If she's not a pawn, then she'll be fine."

"That's good to know at least." Ron said, breathing a sigh of relief.

"Definitely." Hermione answered. "Now the real question is what is the next move?"

"I don't think there's a move to be made." Harry said firmly. "We don't know enough information about them yet. This isn't like one of my insane school missions. If we go running in head first without knowing what we're up against, then we all die."

"You said you wanted to talk to Gellert Grindelwald." Ron said, inserting himself into the conversation once more. "Why?"

"Because I think he could be valuable to knowing who is behind the mask of the Phantom." Harry answered plainly. "Plus, these are people who are following his mantra, his message. He'll know how they're thinking and why."

"Then why don't you go see him?" Angelina asked.

"Because access to Gellert Grindelwald has been restricted since 1950, the last time someone attempted to break him out." Harry answered.

"Yes, but didn't Voldemort just Apparate into his cell before The Battle of Hogwarts?" Hermione asked. "Why can't you do that? We know that you're very good about Apparating to and from places you shouldn't be able to."

It was clear that Hermione was referencing Harry's meltdown on the front lawn of Hogwarts six and a half years earlier. It certainly had been a long time since that had happened but Harry still remembered breaking through the Apparition wards while completely drunk off his mind.

While not a proud moment in Harry's life, it certainly was a magical marvel.

"Hilarious, Hermione." Harry dead-panned. "Anyway, let me worry about Grindelwald. I'll figure something out."

"Here's hoping that you do, mate."

* * *

Despite Harry's desire not to go to work that day, Harry did end up saying goodbye to Hermione after dinner and returning to the castle. Unfortunately, he had a meeting with Minerva regarding the possibility of needing to finally replace Rubeus Hagrid as Gamekeeper. In the last few months, Hagrid had slowed down tremendously, hardly ever leaving his hut. It was clear to Harry that the end was creeping ever closer. As the Headmaster, Harry's only real concern was finding a new Gamekeeper.

But Hagrid was the first magical person that Harry had ever met. The thought that he was dying hurt Harry to no end. People just seemed to keep dying, a fact that Harry knew what true for everyone, but it seemed oddly personal that everyone close to him kept dying. The only silver lining to be had in this was that Hagrid would become the first person that Harry knew that had died of natural causes.

After Minerva left, Harry continued filing paperwork regarding the most recent round of observations that he was required to file to the Ministry. Finally, Harry was down to the last thing on the agenda for his evening: a review of Gabrielle's most recent set of note.

However, before Harry could get started, the door to his office opened. Looking up, Harry saw Hermione sneaking into his office, thinking that by simply offering the password, he wouldn't have noticed her enter.

Clearly, she had been mistaken.

"I thought you were at home." Harry said as he put down his quill.

"I wanted to talk to you."

"About?"

"Everything that happened yesterday."

"A lot happened yesterday." Harry chuckled.

"I know." Hermione replied as she made her way around Harry's desk to lean on the edge of the desk to his immediate right. "Why did you answer a call from the Head Auror at the three in the morning?"

"I'm not sure what you're really asking, Hermione." Harry admitted, knowing that there was more to her question but being unable to suss out just what that was.

"With almost no information, the Head Auror summons you out of your bed at three in the morning. Without hesitation, you respond. Why?"

"What else was I supposed to do?"

"You could have went back to bed." Hermione suggested.

"You think I shouldn't have gone?" Harry asked in astonishment.

"No." Hermione reassured him. "But I don't think you _had_ to go. You had the option to say no."

"Do I?"

"You're the Headmaster of a school, Harry. You're not an Auror or the head of a secret task force." Hermione countered. "You spend your days petitioning the Ministry, completing paperwork, disciplining fifteen year old children and observing in a classroom. None of that involves flying through a window into a burning building."

Harry had never really thought of it that way. In the past, the assumption was that someone else wasn't going to do it if Harry didn't step up. But even with Amos Diggory in charge, Harry never questioned the Ministry's ability to handle a crisis. Certainly, there had been some minor ones in the five years that Harry had been at Hogwarts and only once had he been brought in on anything more than an advisory role.

"I suppose you're right."

"That doesn't mean you have to stop fighting the good fight, Harry." Hermione reassured him. "It just means that you don't always have to be the first person out the door."

"You mean like Dumbledore?"

"I know you dislike any comparison between the two of you but there's a reason that people make it."

"Yet it's never stopped anyone from making them." Harry scoffed as he stood and turned to look at Dumbledore's portrait. "Dumbledore kept secrets."

"So do you."

"It's different when I do it."

"Is it?" Hermione questioned.

"Yes." Harry shot back instantly. "When I found out about Ginny, I immediately started talking to people. Certainly I wasn't broadcasting for all witches and wizards to hear but I was talking to people. It never made it out of my close circle but I am not Dumbledore, keeping everything to myself and only letting those around me guess what is really going on."

Clearly, Hermione had touched on a nerve and Harry realized, moving to apologize for snapping at her. Thankfully, Hermione understood and gestured as such, letting Harry know that she didn't blame him.

"My relationship with Dumbledore is, and will always be, the most complicated of my entire life."

"Clearly." Hermione smirked before getting a bit more serious. "I wanted you to know that you don't have to do it all on your own, Harry."

"I've always tried."

"And failed." Hermione shot back instantly.

"That's only because you and Ron wouldn't let me do anything on my own."

"I think we had good reasons for that. You technically ended up dead once and that was with our help. I can't imagine how many times you would have died without us."

That was the first time that Hermione had ever joked about Harry's foray into the Forbidden Forest. To say that Harry was shocked was just a slight understatement.

"I suppose." Harry replied. "There's just always this thought that there's no one better than I am."

"It's true. In terms of raw power and skill with a wand, I don't know of a witch or wizard in the world that can match you. However, and I don't mean to be repetitively, that's probably exactly what Dumbledore was thinking as well."

"Probably." Harry admitted. "I wonder what it would have been like if we had been fighting this war when Albus was young."

"But remember, he did fight a war when he was young."

"Hermione, he was already in his sixties when he beat Grindelwald."

"Yes, well I suppose that young by comparison to dying at well over one hundred."

"Fair enough."

This kind of conversation, easy, witty and relaxed, was one of the best things about Hermione Granger. Over the years, her ability to banter with Harry had become second to none, often taking time to outsmart him as she was outwitting him.

It was one of the dozens of things that made him love her.

"You're going to be coming home soon, right?"

"I have to finish looking over Gabrielle's report."

"How did she grade me?"

"I haven't read it and even if I had-"

"I know, you're magically prevented from telling me." Hermione said, repeating the line that Harry had jokingly given her at least ten times now. "I'm going home and going to bed."

"I should be home within the hour."

"Good." Hermione said before she leaned down and kissed him passionately. "Be a leader, Harry. Leaders don't have to be in the trenches alone all of the time."

"But what if that leader is best in the trenches?"

"Then he needs to learn something new." Hermione quipped before quickly turning and walking out the door, leaving Harry to wonder just what magical god he had pleased in order to deserve a woman like Hermione Granger.

* * *

Normally, The Tower, the home to the executive office for the Ministry of Magic, was one of the most secure locations in the British Isles. However, today it would be open to the public for one day only.

Today would be the funeral for former Minister of Magic, Amos Diggory. As the Headmaster of Hogwarts, Harry was invited to say a few words, even though almost everyone was aware of the very adversarial relationship that Harry had with the man.

Following the ceremony, which would take place in the new Atrium, Samantha Lyman would be sworn into her new position as Minister of Magic.

Sitting in the front row, Harry couldn't help but feel uncomfortable. Public speaking was something that Harry had grown into over the years as he continued to speak in front of the Wizengamot. Within the last year, Hermione's campaign had frequently used Harry as one of her campaign's most effective mouthpieces, often calling Diggory out for his poor choice in word or action.

Now, Harry sat on a stage, ready to speak in defense of a man he openly feuded with.

All the while, the man's body lie in a casket just a few feet from him.

Once the ceremony started, Richard Gordon, Diggory's previous Senior Undersecretary, spoke first. As one of Diggory's oldest friend's, it made sense that he would act as an officiant of sorts for today's event.

After Gordon, Samantha Lyman stood and spoke briefly about inheriting Amos Diggory's legacy, whatever the hell that meant.

Following Lyman was Charles Hope, the current Senior Undersecretary. His speech was almost entirely political, stating just how much he would miss working for a man so dedicated. However, it had already been decided that Hope was remain as Senior Undersecretary. All in all, it came off as a very trite performance by a senior politician.

Finally, it was Harry's turn to speak. Regardless of the fact that Harry and Amos had fought frequently, Harry always spoke last. While it wasn't something that Harry every personally requested, it seemed that it was one of the parts of his celebrity that never faded away. He was always treated like the most important person in the room, whether he was or not.

Grabbing the few notes he had collected, Harry made his way to the podium where he wasted no time in beginning. After all, the sooner he began, the sooner he was done.

"Witches and wizards, it is with great sadness in my heart that I stand before you today. Some of you may not believe me. It is true that my relationship with Amos was often public and frequently tense. Amos and I disagreed on a great many things from the place of the government in Hogwarts to how to handle magical threats, both at home and abroad."

Harry had decided when he was asked to speak that he would speak as honestly as possible. It was true that there was sadness over Amos' death. He had always longed for a day when they could have been allies and was sad that day was never realized.

"Despite all of that, there was one reason why I never called for Amos to resign or be removed from his position. That was because I always believed that Amos had the best in mind for us all when he acted. Did I always agree with his actions? No. In fact, it was rare for the two of us to agree on much of anything. And yet, I never had any doubt that he wanted the best for myself, for those that elected him and those that hadn't." Harry spoke firmly, continuing to be frank. "Today, we lose one of the Ministry's greatest public warriors, a man that fought day in and day out in order to ensure the best for everyone. Those kind of people are truly irreplaceable. I am certain that our new Minister will do everything in her power to live up to his legacy but I imagine she will find herself wanting in that regard."

Finally, Harry turned back to Samantha Lyman who sat behind him, just to his right.

"Instead, to our new Minister of Magic, I offer this advice: be your own Minister. Attempting to do the things that Amos Diggory did well will only draw comparison to a man that no one is equipped to be compared to. Blaze a new path for us to follow instead and we will certainly follow your capable lead."

The applause for Harry's speech was certainly greater than the rest, if still polite considering they were at a funeral. Once Harry was done, Richard Gordon stood, gave another brief remark and then dismissed the crowd. As Harry made to leave, his path was interrupted by a familiar face: Samantha Lyman.

"Great speech, Headmaster." Samantha said as she clasped his hand firmly. "I've heard wonderful things about your speaking skills but this is the first time I've gotten to witness it. You certainly should have stayed with the Ministry."

"Unfortunately, Minister, I was wasted at the Ministry." Harry said honestly. "Maybe one day I'll return but for now, I couldn't imagine being anywhere other than Hogwarts."

"Nor could I. Speaking of that, would you be willing to meet with me in your office tomorrow? Sometime around ten?"

"I believe that should work." Harry confirmed, surprised that the Minister was so eager to meet him this soon. Also, the fact that she willingly came to him made for stunning opposite of Amos Diggory's behavior toward Harry.

"I'm looking forward to it." Samantha said with a short smile. "Now I am expected upstairs. I will see you tomorrow."

"Of course, Minister."

"Headmaster." she said as she pushed passed Harry on the way to her own swearing in. If there was anyone that could have been more different from Amos Diggory and still be qualified to act as Minister of Magic, Harry couldn't have imagined them.

Still, it was encouraging to see that Samantha Lyman was interested in working with him. Now, Harry only opened that it would actually work.

Looking back at the stage, Harry looked at the coffin where Amos Diggory lay. Moving toward it, Harry knew that the closed casket was for a reason. Under the wood of the coffin was the body of Amos Diggory, not a square inch of skin left on his body.

The juxtaposition of Harry's interaction with Lyman and his knowledge of what lie in the coffin forced Harry's mind back to the present.

Harry knew what he needed to do. Even if Samantha Lyman seemed like a step in the right direction, she wasn't prepared to deal with The Masters of Death.

No one was.

"No one but me." Harry whispered as he pulled a single Galleon out of his pocket and placed his wand on it. With a whisper, the Galleon glowed white before returning to its normal state.

With a single message, every former member of the Dumbledore's Army and The Order of the Phoenix had received a message.

WE ARE NEEDED. GRIMMAULD PLACE. ONE HOUR.

* * *

Seventy-three minutes later, Harry was ready as was the mass of people that had gathered. For a second, Harry had to stop and ponder this. Five years earlier, when Harry had decided to take the Ministry back from Draco Malfoy, a total of ten people (a list which included Ron and Hermione) had shown up.

At the last count that Hermione had done five minutes earlier, they were at thirty and that number was still rising. However, the person that Harry had been the most excited to see wasn't a member of the Order or Dumbledore's Army. In fact, neither of them would be staying for the meeting.

But when little Teddy Lupin showed up, Harry couldn't be bothered for nearly ten minutes. His godson, who Andromeda cared for, was one of Harry's favorite people on Earth. He had managed to inherit his father's gentle nature with his mother's penchant for playing jokes on people. The end result was a child built much in the likes of a young Fred Weasley, brilliant and terrifying at the same time.

"Harry!" the small boy shouted as he raced across the room, his hair currently a sick green color.

"Theodore Lupin." Harry said with a grin as he reached down and scooped up the boy. Teddy was just over seven years old but to some, he could have been ten. Physically, the boy was taller than almost every child his age and quite a few that were older than he. "How are you?"

"It's been three months since you've seen me!" the boy complained as he feigned a distraught look. Ever the actor was the young Theodore Lupin.

"You know that I missed you." Harry whispered to him. "Unfortunately, I have been busy at school."

"Only four years until I get to go!"

"He only says that about thirteen times a day." Andromeda smirked. "How are you, Harry?"

"Things have certainly been worse." Harry answered.

"They'll get better. I have faith in you, boy."

"Thanks, Andy." Harry smirked as he looked back at the boy in his arms. "What are you doing here?"

"Grammie knew that you were having a meeting here and thought we could come for a visit!"

"Well I am glad that she thought of that." Harry grinned.

"Can we stay for your meeting?"

"Unfortunately, we're going to be talking about very boring adult things. I don't think you would have much fun at all."

"Adult things are boring." Teddy replied seriously. "When are you going to come visit again?"

"How does next weekend sound?" Harry asked Andy. "I can bring Hermione with me."

"Yay!" Teddy shouted, nearly deafening Harry.

"That's fine with me." Andromeda added, although they both knew that once Teddy decided he wanted to see Harry, Harry would stop at nothing to see the boy.

"Great! Until next weekend, Mr. Lupin!" Harry said, placing the small boy on the ground. "Now, we're going to talk about boring things!"

"Nooo!" Teddy shouted dramatically.

"We'll talk more next weekend." Andromeda assured him as Teddy dragged her away.

"Of course." Harry said firmly. As happy as seeing Teddy made him, he knew that it didn't necessarily place him in the best mind space for running this meeting. Thankfully, Harry still had a few minutes to prepare as people finished piling into the rows of chairs in the main briefing room.

As Harry looked around, most of the usual suspects related to the DA and the Order were there. Kingsley and Minerva sat in the back as they were among the few holdovers from the Order. The entirety of the Weasley clan, including Penelope and Angelina, sat in the second row. Behind them sat Fleur's sister, Gabrielle, who had been invited by Fleur herself. While Harry thought it was a nice sentiment, he did have trouble with the fact that several people were here by invitation of someone other than him.

However, that was a discussion for another time.

Among the ranks, there were some newer faces. Members of Harry's Quidditch team from sixth year including Jack Sloper, Jimmy Peakes, Demelza Robins and Cormac McClaggen sat in the front, although Harry noticed that Jack, Jimmy and Demelza were blatantly ignoring Cormac.

Padma Patil sat with her twin, Parvarti, who had returned from her home in China for this meeting speaking to Daphne Greengrass, the only Slytherin in the room. All three sat in the third row next to their most international members, Viktor Krum and Olympe Maxime, who had ironically managed to sit next to each other.

Hermione shut the door to the room, signaling to Harry that they weren't waiting on anyone else. With that, Harry took a deep breath and leaped down the rabbit hole.

"I'm not going to take much of your time." Harry stated, beginning the unofficial meeting. "No action will be taken at this meeting. The only purpose of today's event is to provide information and answer questions."

With a wave of his wand, Harry unveiled the Penseive that sat on the table in front of him. After a bit of research, Harry figured out a way to utilize the Penseive much like the Muggles used a projector.

Now, with a bit of wand waving, above the Penseive stood a ghostly image of The Phantom with his wand aimed at Harry.

"This is our target, this man and his group. They calls themselves The Masters of Death."

For the next thirty minutes, Harry filled everyone in on the details of The Masters of Death including their origins, their desired goals and theories regarding who may be members. Harry even included the information that Ginny had provided suggesting that one of the candidates for Minister of Magic was a member.

No stone was left unturned as Harry revealed everything he knew in regards to the Master of Death. He kept no secrets.

"Finally, there are some things you should know regarding Ginny Weasley." Harry said, gently shifting into the last part of his briefing. "When Ginny escaped from Azkaban, the Daily Prophet reported it as the escape of an inmate. This is incorrect."

This had been one of the few things that Harry and Hermione had truly argued about. Harry was in favor of telling everyone all of the information they had. On the other hand, Hermione wished to be more selective. Eventually, Harry was able to convince her by reminding her that if people believed that Ginny was dangerous to them, they would be less likely to help her if they ever came across her.

However, as Harry went to reveal the rest of the information on Ginny, he found his eyes met with the eyes of Arthur and Molly Weasley. This was their daughter, their only daughter. Certainly they loved all of their children but Ginny was special. She was her father's little girl, the youngest and just maybe the brightest. She was exceptional in every way.

For the last three years, they had been convinced by the world that their daughter, brilliant though she may be, was a danger to everyone. They were told that all she wanted was the complete and utter destruction of the worlds' governments.

Harry wasn't sure if what he was about to tell them would be any better.

"Ginny did not escape from Azkaban. She was set free by the Ministry." Harry started as the room around him began to stir. "In exchange for time off her sentence, Ginny worked with Hermione as a special agent of the Ministry. Officially, Ginny Weasley was an escaped convict. Unofficially, she worked directly for Hermione, dealing with a variety of foreign threats in Europe and Asia."

For several moments, Harry stared at the Weasleys who looked at him in shock. Then, Arthur Weasley smiled and Harry was able to breath again. While Harry had nothing to do with Ginny's assignment, knowing that Arthur was pleased that his daughter was doing something with her life made things easier for Harry.

However, that made what Harry was about to tell them that much more challenging.

"Unfortunately, Ginny's last mission was to track down The Masters of Death." Harry said as the room suddenly went quiet. "It is my belief that Ginny has been captured by the Masters of Death."

"How do you know that?" Percy asked.

"About a week after I received the first letter from Ginny with the intelligence on the possible mole inside the Ministry, I received another." Harry revealed reluctantly. He knew they need to know, all of them.

That didn't mean that Harry wanted to tell them.

"Ginny asked me to meet her in Godric's Hollow. So I did." Harry said to the collective gasp of the room. "When I met her there, I was ambushed by the Masters of Death. While I managed to escape, Ginny disappeared before I could bring her home."

Harry couldn't say that he was surprised that the Weasley's weren't particularly pleased to find this out. Between all of the shouting, Harry couldn't hear any individual point from any of the Weasleys but he knew they were angry.

Harry waited them out, knowing they would eventually stop to listen again. When they did, Harry spoke simply.

"There was nothing to be done." Harry replied. "We had no information on the Masters of Death at the time. We only knew a general idea of where Ginny had been and we still don't know where they're operating out of in Britain. If it had come out into the open that we were openly looking for the Masters of Death, it would have only legitimized them in a way that myself and the Ministry aimed to avoid for as long as possible."

As Harry spoke, he had to finally concede how much he sounded like Dumbledore. Try as he might, he certainly kept secrets. Despite everything that he did, there would always be something that would need to be kept private. Too much information out in the open made it hard to control.

Thankfully, no one jumped down his throat. Instead, someone figured out exactly why Harry had called this meeting when he did.

"That doesn't matter anymore, does it?" George Weasley asked.

"It doesn't." Harry admitted. "With their assassination of Amos Diggory, they have legitimized themselves. Still, I only reluctantly called this meeting."

"Why?" Daphne asked.

"Because this isn't Cornelius Fudge's Ministry." Harry answered. "I believe that our new Minister of Magic will actually listen to those of us that have fought threats like this before. However, there is still so much red tape to fight through in order for the Ministry to be successful."

"And that's why we're here." Hermione added. "But things are different this time."

"Fudge knew about the Order of the Phoenix and allowed it to exist." Harry said, continuing Hermione's line of thought. "That will not happen this time."

"Because you refused to name Dumbledore's Army?" Padma asked.

"Exactly." Harry admitted. "So, this group will never be official. There will be no piece of paper to sign. Your Galleon is on the only sign that you have even been here. From now on, security will tighten here. When you leave, you will still keep a mental image of this room but you will no longer be able to remember the name. This also means that anyone else that wishes to _join_ us will have to be authorized by me."

"So this isn't Dumbledore's Army?" Lee Jordan wondered aloud.

"No." Hermione answered firmly.

"It's not the Order of the Phoenix either." Ron added. "This is something different and undefined. We will have no name and no structure of any kind."

"No one reports to anyone but me." Harry said, finishing the thought that was going around. "This is more for security than anything else. Then, if you are interrogated under Veritaserum, the only name you'll be able to give as being in charge is mine."

"That doesn't seem fair." Parvati bellowed. "Why do you take the fall for this?"

"Because it's exactly what the Ministry would expect." Hermione answered for him. "To the average politician, Harry Potter is the most dangerous threat to their status quo. Every day, dozens of Ministry officials grapple with the fear of Harry deciding that he's running for Minister of Magic."

"Like Dumbledore." George smirked. "But without the glorious beard."

"I can give you your glorious beard back, Georgie." Harry shot back with a cruel grin, reminding of his failure at the Goblet of Fire.

"I do miss it." George replied before standing in place. "So we're not doing anything right now, right mate?"

"Correct." Harry confirmed in confusion.

"Then I wager we can get out of here, head to the Three Broomsticks and get pissed." George bellowed.

"Seconded!" Neville added.

"I suppose we could do that." Harry grinned. "Please just keep an eye on your Galleons. I have a feeling we're going to be meeting a lot more in the next few days."

"You and me both, mate." George said sadly. "You and me both."


	13. Chapter 13

The next morning, Harry sat and waited. Harry's relationship with Amos had never been easy. Harry didn't have any real indication how Samantha Lyman intended to treat him. At the very least, Harry hoped she would make compromise a little easier.

At the very moment that Harry's watch hit ten, the portrait on the wall above the fireplace spoke.

" _Headmaster, Madam Minister and a guest request access."_

"A guest?"

" _Head Auror Kathryn Downey accompanies the Minister of Magic, sir."_

The addition of Kathryn Downey to this meeting did not bode well for Harry's hopes that it would be more cordial than his meetings with Diggory had been. Even if Harry did get along with Kathryn, she was the Head of the Aurors and that meant that she was the muscle of the meeting.

"Of course." Harry said, feigning happiness as his fire turned a bright green before spitting out Kathryn and Samantha. Smoothly, Harry stood and greeted each woman before guiding them to sit in the chairs across from his seat.

"Ms. Lyman-"

"Samantha, please." the new Minister of Magic insisted.

"Fine, Samantha. I agreed to meet with you. Maybe I misunderstood but you said nothing about including Kathryn—not that it isn't good to see you, Kathryn."

"The feeling is mutual, Headmaster." Kathryn replied.

"Yes, about that. I had a few things to discuss. Some of these things were related to Kathryn's department and so rather than misspeak, I decided to bring her along."

"Understandable." Harry replied although he truly had no idea what the hell she was talking about.

"First, you'll be pleased to hear that I'm asking the Wizengamot to remove Gabrielle Delacour from the school."

"Why would I be pleased?"

"I am aware that you fought Mr. Diggory on her appointment." Samantha answered in confusion.

"I fought Amos on it because he was an ass who assumed I would cow to his influence. In the end, we both got what we wanted."

"And what was that?"

"Amos got someone looking in on me and the school. I reminded Amos Diggory that I am not someone to be trifled with. You seem much wiser than Amos, Samantha. I trust that won't be something I have to do."

"I have no desire to fight with you, Harry." Samantha assured him. "Right now, the Masters of Death is my first priority and I imagine it is high on your list as well."

"This is true." Harry answered firmly. "Leave Gabrielle at the school. It's good to have an outside opinion to consider."

"Very well." Samantha agreed before looking down at the list in front of her. "I would like to speak to Hermione Granger about returning to her post as Head of Magical Law Enforcement."

"Why are you telling me?"

"She is a teacher at your school and more to you personally."

"I think you will find out that Hermione does what she desires." Harry grinned. "As for asking her, ask away but I doubt you get anywhere."

"Why is that?" Samantha inquired.

"I believe that Hermione would consider it a great failure to leave her students in the middle of the year. If you can wait until June to fill the post, then I think you'll have her back."

"Unfortunately, you and I both know I can't wait that long."

"I've heard good things about Christopher Wise." Harry commented. Harry knew that Wise and the new Minister were close. They had both spent time together in school and then again as aides in the Department of Magical Education. However, it was clear to everyone that Wise had no desire to remain in Education and the moment he was eligible to become an Unspeakable, he jumped at it.

"The Unspeakable?"

"Yes."

"He's already been promoted to the Head of the Department of Mysteries."

"Then I'm out of ideas."

"I urged her to consider Percy Weasley." Kathryn spoke up.

"Percy would be a great choice." Harry agreed. "Unfortunately, he and Penelope still live in Spain."

"Is it possible he could be convinced?" Samantha asked.

"Possible? Yes. But you're going to have to make some concessions to make it happen I'm sure."

"Why is that?" Samantha asked.

Clearly, she didn't know Percy Weasley that well, Harry thought to himself.

"Because Percy is not going to be willing to ask Penelope to leave her job in Spain for nothing." Harry informed them. "Fortunately for you, the last time I spoke to Percy and Penelope, they both expressed an interest in being closer to their families."

"So they could be convinced?" Samantha asked again urgently.

"Probably. But Percy will almost certainly request that Ron be added to either his staff or yours."

"Why is that?" Kathryn asked with concern.

"Because Percy likes having people he trusts around. It's why Hermione was hired as the Junior Undersecretary in the first place. With no other member of his family actively working for the Ministry, Percy will talk with Ron but if I know the both of them, Ron's placement will be a deal-breaker for Percy."

"Where would you suggest he go?" Kathryn asked. "Ron does a wonderful job in Games and Sports but he hasn't worked in Law Enforcement."

"Not at the top but remember, he was also an Auror after the war."

"For only a little longer than you were." Kathryn reminded him.

"It's not nothing." Harry countered. "But if I'm being honest, I would place Ron on your staff, Samantha."

"Why?"

"Ron won't like to report directly to Percy. Too much sibling rivalry. Hire him as your new Junior Undersecretary instead."

"You want to hire him as the same position that Hermione Granger once held? You think he can handle it?" Samantha asked, a reasonable look of apprehension on her face.

"He'll take longer to get acclimated to the Wizengamot than Hermione did but ultimately, Ron knows the Ministry inside and out. He'll do good work for you and Percy can work knowing that he has someone he trusts in your office."

Samantha leaned back in her chair, clearly thinking about everything that Harry had just told her.

"I could always ask you." Samantha said with a smirk.

"You could ask. I would decline courteously." Harry replied.

"That's too bad. The Ministry could use you."

"Probably." Harry replied simply. "Samantha, I have a feeling that you did not come here to banter with me about Gabrielle Delacour and filling the Department of Magical Law Enforcement job."

Samantha's face tensed.

"You would be correct."

"Then let's not waste any more time." Harry asked politely. "What's your problem?"

"The Masters of Death." Samantha answered firmly. "They must be dealt with firmly and quickly."

"What part do I have in this?"

"Giving us the names of The Order of the Phoenix and Dumbledore's Army." Kathryn said firmly.

If Harry had expected this to be the topic of this meeting, Harry would have declined it and included some rather choice words in his refusal. Instead, under the guise of a pleasant meeting, Samantha Lyman had orchestrated a situation where he was going to be forced to decline the request of the Minister of Magic and Head Auror in front of each other.

Amos Diggory may have been an effective bull but Samantha Lyman was already proving to be much more clever, like a fox.

"They don't exist any longer." Harry said, not technically denying their request.

"We're aware." Samantha said, her voice clipped and stern. It was remarkable the change that had come over her in the last few moments. In seconds, she had gone from Lavender Brown to Minerva McGonagall without even blinking. It was impressive and went to show just how she had risen so quickly.

"You are no doubt aware that I shut both of those groups down. In return, I was promised by the Wizengamot that I would never be asked to reveal the names of either group."

"Circumstances, Harry." Kathryn replied. "We never anticipated a threat like the Masters of Death."

"Of course we could. They were called Death Eaters." Harry shot back.

"A threat that you personally assured us was dealt with." Samantha reminded him.

"And it was. The Masters of Death are older than the Death Eaters. In fact, I'm certain that they inspired Voldemort to make the Death Eaters in the first place." Harry replied firmly.

It was rare that Harry matched up with someone who has as good as he was politically. Harry may have wanted to avoid the circus that was any actual election but Harry's place in society assured his part in the political game and it was one in which he was very good.

Samantha Lyman was at least as good.

"All the same, I am formally requesting that you reveal the names of both groups in front of the Wizengamot." Kathryn replied dismissively.

"You don't have the authority to do that."

"Both myself and Tiberius Ogden will be co-signing the request." Samantha informed him. "Kathryn is directly in charge of the security of our people. I am the leader and Tiberius heads our law-making body. By refusing this request, you will be telling the people that you value the privacy of your friends over their lives."

Finally, she had made a mistake and Harry jumped.

"You missed a few things, Samantha." Harry gloated. "First, you obviously don't know me very well if you think that playing the public opinion card with me will work. I care about public opinion only when it prevents me from doing something I want. This will not and for that reason alone, I would tell you to go to hell."

"Headmaster-" Kathryn attempted to interrupt.

"Second, _I value the privacy of my friends over their lives?_ Did your speech writers come up with that line?" Harry taunted her. "I value their _lives._ If they choose to go out and fight the Masters of Death, then that is their _choice._ But I will always protect anyone's ability to choose which battles they fight. I'll give you the names of these groups just as soon as you tell me that you're conscripting everyone into the Aurors."

"You are well aware of the fact that the members of the Order and Dumbledore's Army are much better equipped to combat the Masters of Death."

"Of course I'm aware." Harry scoffed. "I trained them. When the students in my Auror training course all blow away the record entry scores for the Auror Academy, you'll realize that I am the person best equipped to combat the Masters of Death and that if the Ministry hadn't been such a clusterfuck, you would still have me. In fact, _Kathryn,_ I would probably have your job." Harry said before turning to Samantha. "Or yours."

"You think that speaking to me like a child is the way to prove your point, Harry?" Samantha asked.

"I thought that you were going to be different." Harry admitted. "With the exception of Kingsley Shacklebolt, every single Minister of Magic that I've ever dealt with spent too much time trying to force people into believing in them when they could have been spending their time governing and trusting that the people would come to follow them when they saw what the government was doing."

"How would you know the difference?"

"How do you think I got people to follow me, Samantha?" Harry asked honestly. "Do you think I forced people? Do you think I tied their hands to my back and marched away, dragging them with me?"

Finally unable to keep his seat, Harry moved to the window where he sighed deeply and rub the rage out of his face.

"People followed me during the Battle of Hogwarts and the Malfoy Insurrection because they believed in me. They followed me because I proved to them that I was willing to run into battle alone if necessarily. I never had to conscript people, all I had to do was ask."

"Well, we can't all be Harry Potter." Samantha snapped snidely.

"I'm not saying you do. All you have to do is try to inspire people instead of simply ordering them around."

Harry could tell that his words, whether they were true or not, were having no effect on the Minister. However, Harry could see that Kathryn was increasingly more uncomfortable with this request. So, rather than continue to press at the Minister, Harry chose to speak only to Kathryn.

"You know me, Kathryn. Better than she does anyway." Harry said softly as he moved next to her seat. "You were one of my trainers at the Academy."

"I know."

"Do you really believe that ordering people to the front lines is how we're going to win this fight?"

For a moment, she didn't answer. Then, her head sank to the floor.

"No." she whispered.

"Good." Harry whispered in return, grasping her shoulder gently before standing and returning to his seat. "I imagine that you are going to lose your Head Auror's endorsement of this."

"That seems likely." Samantha replied disappointingly.

"I know this isn't over."

"Not remotely."

"Then remember this: no one that has ever gone to war with me has won in the end." Harry said confidently. "You can order me all you want, I will refuse. When I do, you will send me to Azkaban where I may sit for a few years. But the second you do that, you will likely guarantee that someone will run against you and win in two years. Meanwhile, the Masters of Death will continue their march towards domination and your best chance at stopping them will be locked in a cell because you attempted to force him into betraying the trust of those who trusted him."

"What will that trust get you when the Masters of Death walk all over us? When we're all dead because we lacked the bodies to defends ourselves, what will you say then?" Samantha asked as she rose from her seat.

"I will say that I died knowing that I never betrayed the trust of those who trusted in me to do what was right rather than what was easy."

"Sounds like something Dumbledore would have said." Kathryn muttered.

"I'm more or less quoting him so that shouldn't be a surprise." Harry replied before looking at Samantha once more. "Much like with Amos, I believe that you want good things for us all. Because of that, I am not going to consider this conversation a deal-breaker. However, I am going to ask you to drop this line of inquiry, lest you find out just how powerful I am."

"You talk to me as if you're dealing with some Junior Assistant Head, Harry." Samantha quipped. "Don't forget that I am the Minister of Magic and that positions demands respect."

"It does." Harry admitted. "But don't forget that I am The Man Who Lived, The Chosen One, Order of Merlin, Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Magic and the man who killed both Tom Riddle and Draco Malfoy. I don't like flaunting my power and rarely do I truly lean on anyone so consider this a rarity when I remind you that title alone doesn't give you power nor does it earn you respect, Minister. In this situation, it only makes you the second most powerful person in England."

Samantha opened her mouth to argue once more when she suddenly stopped. It seemed that this Minister wasn't one who simply flew by the seat of her pants and actually listened to what the person across from her was saying.

"I suppose." she answered simply. "But in the end, one of us has the legal authority to be the most powerful person."

"Yes, you do." Harry admitted. "But how you use that will determine how long you stay in that position."

* * *

The day after Halloween was a slow morning for Harry. In the days since his meeting with the new Minister of Magic, Harry had been questioning everything he had said to the Minister, even his decision to refuse Samantha's request. While Harry was certain that he had made the correct decision morally, he wasn't sure that it was going to be one that was going to make them any more prepared the next time the Masters of Death chose to rear their heads.

Still, Harry was able to push away that line of thinking by running headfirst into his work. With the assistance of Gemma and a few constructive notes by Gabrielle Delacour, Harry was already looking at alterations for the educational curriculum for the following year. Harry was considering adding electives as early as the second half of a student's first year along with adding more advanced level classes like the one he was teaching with Padma.

In regards to that class, Harry had to consider it a rousing success. One month in and not a single student had failed a practical test. In fact, not one of them had come close. Each of the students had chosen a small course load in order to take this class and it was clear that they were taking the honor of being selected for such a course to heart.

The student that Harry was the most surprised by was James Cresswell. While it had always been clear that the boy had talent, Harry was worried that he would never stop attempting to be the class rebel before he was able to show everyone else.

Harry was wrong to have been concerned.

While he wasn't the top student (that honor belonged to Ms. Kara Wilde), he was probably the closest to her. Kara's ability to learn a spell and master it within a single practical session was something that Harry hadn't seen outside of himself. The only thing that was holding her back from becoming the next hot shot Auror was her lack of creativity.

This was where James Cresswell shined. Harry had always prided himself on being clever as a duelist, along with powerful. It meant that Harry could fight strategically as well as destructively. While Cresswell would likely never be as powerful as Harry was, if he continued to work as hard as he was, there would be a day when his creativity would allow him to close the gap between the two of them.

As Harry walked into the classroom, he noticed that Padma was seated at her normal chair in the corner, ready to assist if necessary but typically allowing Harry the space to run the room. So far, Harry hadn't required much of her services during their practical lessons which meant that he wasn't surprised when he saw that she had a large stack of reading materials placed next to her.

Setting his things on the desk, Harry noticed that, just like every other time he entered the room, it was suddenly quiet. Turning back to his students, he smirked as they each stood at attention, wands in hand, ready for instruction. So far, Harry hadn't allowed for much in the way of discussion during his classes, despite his desire to keep the tone of the room light.

Today, that would change.

"Relax." Harry smirked as the four slouched slightly at the command. "I have to congratulate you. Four weeks and yet all four of you still stand here. Clearly this is not the end of the path but it is something to be celebrated nonetheless."

Harry smiled as each students smirked, showing only the slightest amount of joy. As he watched each of them, he noticed that none of them had loosened their grip on their wand.

They didn't trust that Harry wasn't going to curse them at any time.

Moody would have been proud.

"Today, we move to a new phase of this course." Harry said before turning to the chalk board behind him and waving his wand. The word _ADAPT_ appeared in Harry's notoriously terrible handwriting. Even magic couldn't fix that.

"Before today, I gave each of you a specific set of parameters for each lesson. You listened, you learned, you followed instruction and you completed the task given in the way that you were told." Harry said as he paced the front of the room. "This is the most basic task of an Auror: the ability to follow orders."

As he spoke, Harry began deliberately spinning his wand in circles aimed at the floor. With his students focused entirely on his speaking, none of them noticed as the room slowly began to drop in temperature. Within just a few minutes, he would able to see each of them shutter and by the time Harry was done with his next instruction, you could see your breath.

Yet still, none of them noticed.

"However, the difference between the Auror who spends their entire career writing up notices for illegal goods traffickers and the ones who go searching for Death Eaters is simple: they can adapt. The very best Aurors understand that orders are not always going to followed to the letter. In fact, sometimes those orders won't be good anymore. The situation may change or you get information that you didn't have before. Either way, it is up to an Auror to determine the best course of action with the best information they have."

When Harry finished, the room was almost entirely covered in a layer of ice. Smiling to himself, Harry watched as each student suddenly noticed the change in condition like they had been in the dark and someone had turned on the lights.

"Your orders for today are quite simple: defeat me."

"What?" Kara replied, visibly shocked by the request.

"I do not believe that my orders require much explanation." Harry said with a smirk.

"But how are we supposed to do that?" Brandon asked timidly. It was the first time that Harry had challenged them in such a brazen way. Clearly, they were nervous.

"That, Mr. Meyer, is entirely up to you." Harry informed them. "That is the purpose of the test. There are ways to do it, you simply must figure them out."

Having said his piece, Harry turned and marched back to his desk. Before he sat, he spoke up on final time.

"Also, this room will only continue to get colder. I would urge you to find your solution as fast as humanly possible."

With four teenagers staring at him in confusion, Harry sat at the desk and began to work on some papers that he had brought with him. Harry had barely sat when a spell threw him back against the chalkboard.

Grunting, Harry picked himself up off the floor. Looking up, he saw that the most impetuous of the four, Sam Wood, had drawn his wand and attacked. Harry had been banking on one of them attempting this course of action. With a pair of wand movements that were almost impossible to see, Harry disarmed Wood before Stunning him.

"Mr. Wood has failed this task." Harry informed them gravely.

Instantly, the other three, who had been standing several feet away attempting to formulate a plan, went silent.

"If nothing changes, Mr. Wood will be removed from this class as of Monday."

"If nothing changes, sir?" James asked.

"If one of you succeeds in defeating me, then the others will be spared and allowed to continue."

It was a gambit that Harry and Padma had both felt a bit uncomfortable with when they had come up with it. In the end, Harry knew that one of them would manage to pass the test.

He had that kind of confidence in his students.

Now, he was only praying that they weren't about to disappoint them.

"Remember, there is no rush for you to figure this out." Harry gently added. "Only the gradual decrease in temperature."

Sitting down, Harry was back at work. This time, he was able to work for nearly an hour before there was any further development. In that hour, the three remaining students argued loudly over whether they should be attempting to attack Harry at all.

Both Kara and Brandon seemed intent on having to knock Harry unconscious in order to pass the test.

James, on the other hand, seemed less certain.

For an hour, the pair of them hammered home the idea that they were learning to be soldiers and that they needed to hone their dueling skills.

"What kind of test would it be otherwise?" Harry heard Brandon ask at one point.

What kind of test, indeed.

Finally, when they were unable to tempt James into attacking him with them, Kara and Brandon turned and fired.

Within just a few moments, Harry had Stunned each of them, much like Sam an hour earlier.

Now, only James remained. Rather than remain near Harry, he moved to the very back of the room where he could survey the entirety of the room.

Ten minutes passed before Padma excused herself, saying that it was challenging to read when you couldn't feel your fingers.

Another ten minutes passed and still no movement from James at the top of the room. With each passing minute, Harry could feel the temperature drop further and further. The walls began to freeze over. Soon, the windows froze, blocking the ability to see out them.

Eventually, Harry realized just what James' plan was: he was going to freeze Harry out. While Harry knew that he was going to pass James simply for coming up with such an original way of "defeating" him, Harry was also interested in seeing just how far James was willing to take this.

Two hours and fifteen minutes was his answer. That was when Harry finally canceled the spell on the room and revived the three other students. A pair of warming spells had Harry and James back into a right state in only moments. Once Harry was certain that James was fine, he sat down once more with the class.

"Congrats to James. He passed the test." Harry informed them.

"I don't understand. He didn't Stun you." Brandon stated in confusion.

"He did not."

"Then how did he pass?"

"Did I ever ask you to Stun me?" Harry questioned.

A joint look shared among the other three students answered Harry's question.

"The three of you assumed that since all we had done in the past was spellwork and defense, that this test would be more of the same. Instead, it was about your ability to think on you feet and be creative. I never said that you had to Stun me. I said _defeat_ me. You could have conjured a wizard's chess board and played me. You could have challenged me to a test on the names of the first years in Hufflepuff. I gave the broadest of instructions and allowed you to fill in the blanks."

Each of them realized what Harry was saying at roughly the same point. They now understood just what it was Harry was asking.

"Even James' method was insane." Harry chuckled. "But still, he chose a method that he believed he could beat me and in the end, he was correct. He analyzed the situation and determined that to be his best course of action. Now, I think that, in retrospect, even James will admit there were better options."

"Of course." James said with a goofy grin.

"Play to your strengths." Harry ordered firmly. "It was advice given to me by one of my greatest enemies. But it never ceases to be true. If you don't have to do something a specific way, then feel free to _adapt_ your task to suit your abilities."

* * *

The next morning, Harry was silently enjoying his breakfast when his Deputy Headmaster, Gemma Fairley, sat down next to him, harshly throwing a copy of the morning's Daily Prophet on top of his plate.

"Good morning to you as well, Gemma."

"Look at it." Gemma snapped. Following her instruction, Harry lifted up the paper to see the image that covered almost the entirety of the front page. It appeared to the image of the former home of Amos Diggory.

"What's the big deal?" Harry asked in confusion.

"Look closer." Gemma answered, pointing to a specific part of the picture. That's when Harry noticed exactly what she was talking about. The image was clearly taken from a broom above the remains of the Diggory estate.

On the ground was a word.

Potter.

Covering that word was the mark of the Deathly Hallows.

It was clearly intended to be a message and the headline just below the picture ( **MASTERS OF DEATH MARK HOGWARTS HEAD AS NEXT TARGET** ) clearly illustrated that point. This was the first message from to the public from the Masters of Death and they dramatically made their mark, targeting the most public figure in all of England.

Rather than show any sort of concern in front of the students, Harry deflected. "They could have at least drawn a picture of me. For all we know, they're talking about Michael Potter in the Department of Magical Transportation."

"Are you kidding me?" Gemma asked seriously.

"Or even Margot Potter in the Wizengamot Administration Offices." Harry added, doing his best to diffuse the tension. Gemma was clearly not amused.

"You need to disappear for a bit, Harry." Gemma replied with concern. "These people are serious."

"So am I. They could really be talking about anyone." Harry said in one final attempt to avoid the subject.

"Harry!" Gemma shouted, just loud enough for the entire school to look at them for a moment. With a dismissive wave, Harry was able to force everyone to look away as Harry turned back to Gemma, all attempts at humor now gone.

"Gemma, get a grip." Harry snapped quietly. "Of course I am concerned that these monsters seemed to have it out for me. I would be insane to think otherwise."

"Then what are you going to do about it?"

"At the moment, I am going to eat my breakfast." Harry said calmly. "Then, I will go about my day as if nothing was wrong. Once my day is over, I will consult with a few people."

"Dumbledore's Army?" Gemma asked in a hurry.

"Never mention that name aloud again." Harry fired back. "I have people that I consult with on these sort of things. If you come by my office this afternoon, I can get you on the list of people that I consult with. If you are interested, that is."

It was clear that Harry's meaning wasn't lost on Gemma who almost instantly dropped back into her chair. If Harry hadn't seen her nearly losing her mind moments earlier, he would have hardly suspected that anything was the matter.

"You can't let them see you weak, Gemma." Harry muttered to her. "They know that the world is a darker place than we let on. But the moment they see it in us, they start to lose hope."

"But they're not fighting the battle. Why is it so important?"

"Because one day, they will be the ones fighting the fight." Harry replied darkly. "And that fight may come sooner rather than later."

Looking back at the paper, Harry noticed a small headline at the bottom right corner of the page: **PERCY WEASLEY: NEW HEAD OF MAGICAL LAW ENFORCEMENT; SEE PAGE 3 FOR MORE.** With a note of surprise, Harry turned the page and continued reading:

_The Minister of Magic continues her shakeup of the Ministry's leadership. Upon taking office, Minister of Magic Samantha Lyman confirmed that Charles Hope would remain as Senior Undersecretary to ensure continuity within the Ministry._

_However, several vacancies remained until last evening when Minister of Magic announced her selections to fill all of the openings. They are as follows:_

_Percy Weasley: Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement_

_Ronald Weasley: Junior Undersecretary to the Minister of Magic_

_Tiberius Ogden: Reaffirmed as Head of Wizengamot_

_Webster Cooke: Head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports_

_Roberta Rutledge: Head of the Department of Magical Education_

_Christine Butler: Deputy Head of the Department of Mysteries_

_Of these, the most interesting is obviously the addition of the Weasley brothers to the top level of the Ministry. The previous administration blatantly refused to support the friends and political allies of Hogwarts Headmaster Harry Potter. In fact, during her brief time as the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, Hermione Granger made only two public appearances with the Minister of Magic, not including the events they shared as a part of her run to become Minister of Magic._

_It seems that our new Minister of Magic is interested in mending that bridge with Mr. Potter. Here's hoping that the Weasley brothers show that they are up to the task of their new positions._

Of course, everything came back to Harry. Still, Harry was pleased to see that Samantha was taking his advice. He hadn't ordered her to hire either of them. He had simply expressed his opinion.

A much closer relationship to the Ministry of Magic was something that would be beneficial for everyone but especially for the continued success of Hogwarts itself.

* * *

That evening, Harry sat in his office. His day had been relatively typical. After dinner, he had returned home to see Hermione for a bit before returning to the castle to finish the next big project. His current project was a funding proposal for the Wizengamot that would allow Harry to create advanced courses, like the Auror training he was currently teaching, for almost two dozen positions.

After that, Harry would work on his next big project: loosening Hogwarts' admission standards. Currently, you or a parent/guardian had to reside in Ireland, England, Scotland or Wales to attend Hogwarts. Harry's ultimate goal would be to remove that restriction entirely and actively recruit students from around the world. However, knowing that progress was often feared in his world, he would focus on allowing students from the countries Europe that touched the Atlantic Ocean.

However, Harry's night changed when a letter appeared on his desk. Normally, this would mean a message from the Minister of Magic but Harry noticed that this letter was not in an envelope and didn't have the Minister's seal pressed onto it.

Flipping the piece of paper over, Harry read the short letter:

_Harry,_

_Trust nothing he says._

_Kathryn Downey_

"Trust nothing he says?" Harry whispered to himself. "What the hell is she talking about?"

As if to answer Harry's question, the portrait on the wall just above the fireplace spoke up.

" _Senior Undersecretary Charles Hope wishes access to your office."_

"Why?" Harry demanded of the portrait.

" _He is unable to say."_ the portrait replied. _"Only that it is a matter of national importance."_

Something of national importance that the number two man in the country wished to speak with Harry about. For a moment, Harry had the desire to simply refuse Hope's request. This was likely going to be some sort of task force like he had assembled with the Malfoy situation. The Ministry had attempted to get Harry to momentarily step down from his position on two separate occasions over the last two years.

Harry had told them in no uncertain terms where they could shove their wands.

However, those requests had typically come from an aide or a Senior Auror. This was coming from the Senior Undersecretary to the Ministry. There was a noticeable difference.

"I'll allow it." Harry said as he stood and made sure that he looked presentable.

Without pause, Charles Hope came racing through the fireplace, not even bothering to stop and get his bearings. Hope was a Ministry man through and through. He had taken his first position at the Ministry as an aide in the Wizengamot Administration Offices back in the early 1960s. Within just a few weeks, it was clear to those that he worked with that he was going to have a future at the Ministry. He was bright, respectful, well-liked but never afraid to speak his mind if he disagreed with someone.

However, during his time at the Ministry, he had never been a Department Head and hadn't even come close to putting his name in for Minister of Magic, despite the large group of people that would have likely voted for him. According to those that were close to the man, he preferred to work in the shadows. When Diggory had been the Minister, his main task had often been to smooth over relations with people that Diggory had upset.

But now that Samantha Lyman was Minister, Charles Hope was back to doing what he did best: creating the policy of the Ministry of Magic. More than half the legislation that had been passed since 1980 had Hope's name or signature on it somewhere. He was prolific writer and, to this day, was considered to be one of the finest legal minds the country had ever seen.

Above all else, what set Hope from the rest of the crowd was his demeanor. No one ever heard Hope raise his voice or belittle a colleague. He rarely interrupted a speaker and did little to anger those that worked against him. Still, most people found themselves convinced when he simply laid out his argument, his dedication to fact and logic proving almost insurmountable.

Which meant that Harry was very concerned when Hope rushed in and nearly shouted at Harry.

"Sit down, Headmaster." he barked before taking a seat across from him. Rather than wonder why Hope was ordering him around, Harry sat and listened.

"What's the matter, Charles?" Harry asked the much older man.

"I'll be brief. Once the Elena King case became public knowledge, the Ministry stated floating options for how to slow down the Masters of Death."

"That's good to know that you were being proactive." Harry smirked.

"Maybe so. However, one of the ideas that was floated was sending a collection of Aurors undercover to infiltrate the Masters."

"That doesn't sound like it would be particularly effective, especially not in the short term."

"Certainly not." Charles agreed. "Which is why we thought that we shelved it."

"You thought?"

"I've just come out of a meeting with the Minister of Magic and our new Law Enforcement Head. After personally reviewing the records of the Auror Department, Mr. Weasley had some concerns that he wished to address with the Minister and myself."

"What were those concerns?"

"You know Percy Weasley well, correct?"

"He's practically family." Harry agreed.

"You know that he is very thorough."

"I do."

"The first thing that Percy wanted to address was what he felt was poor allocation of resources and man hours within the Auror Office."

"Sounds like Percy."

"We all knew that despite being a wonderful inspector and Auror, Kathryn Downey is not particularly organized. It was a good place for Percy to start using his skills to further the Auror Office."

"Why is this a problem?"

"Because of what Percy found." Charles said as he laid a stack of files on his desk. "Out of the over three hundred Aurors that were available, only one or two are ever authorized for undercover action at any one time. When they are undercover, they are required to report in every ten days. If they don't, we have a choice to make."

"Go get them or assume they're dead?" Harry mused.

"Correct." Charles said with a grim smile. "These files represent all of the open undercover missions as of earlier today."

"How many?"

"Eighteen. Three of them have been assigned within the last two weeks and have active reports."

"The other fifteen?" Harry asked nervously.

Charles took a deep breath. It was clear that Charles didn't like whatever he was about to say. Harry doubted he would like it much either.

"They were assigned the day after the meeting we had in response to the Elena King situation."

"Oh."

"That's strange for more than one reason, Mr. Potter." Charles added. "Undercover missions are never, _ever_ assigned. They are only have initiated on a volunteer basis. These fifteen undercover Aurors were _given_ their missions."

"By whom?" Harry asked, fearing the answer.

"They're all signed by the same person." Charles said as he opened the file to reveal the signature that Harry expected: Head of the Auror Office, Kathryn Downey. It certainly explained the nature of Kathryn's previous letter to him. Still, Harry couldn't help but notice something else strange about these files.

They were all marked by the same stamp: **SECRET STATUS ORDERED BY [REDACTED].**

"What does this mean?"

"Someone ordered them secret sometime after they were ordered."

"So someone else knew about these?" Harry asked.

"Correct."

"Who could have ordered these secret?"

"It's a short list. The Minister of Magic, The Head of the Wizengamot and the Heads of Magical Law Enforcement and International Magical Cooperation."

Thinking back to when it happened, Harry jotted down some names.

"So we're talking about Amos Diggory, Tiberius Ogden, Hermione Granger or Bracken Rawson."

"Rawson was on sick leave during the Elena King incident. He's only been back in the building for two weeks."

"Let's not beat around the bush, Charles." Harry said, tired of waiting any further. "You and the Minister believe that Amos Diggory and Kathryn Downey ordered these missions. I can assume that they've all disappeared."

"Not seen or heard from since they left." Charles confirmed.

"Who would they speak to about their progress?"

"The Head of the Auror Office." Charles said darkly.

Harry had to admit that it sounded damning for Kathryn. Fifteen Aurors ordered, likely against their will, into undercover missions that seemingly ended in their death. This would help thin out the always dwindling number of Aurors. If Kathryn was truly working for the Masters of Death, it would ensure her place as a trusted member by walking that many Aurors to their death.

Still, the fact that Tiberius Ogden was a possibility bothered Harry. Ginny had told Harry that someone who ran for Minister had been a mole for the Masters of Death.

Ogden was the only person who was on the list of potential traitors who also had the ability to order this mission's records be locked away.

Thankfully, Percy Weasley was able to order all records, even those marked secret.

"Why did you tell me this?" Harry asked.

"Two reasons. Personally, you and I both know that you have people who can help work with this information. The other reason is that you wield a certain amount of power and are definitely trusted by Kathryn. She may come to you for help."

"Didn't the Masters of Death just declare me as their top target this morning?"

"If she's as good as we think she is, she'll do whatever she can to maintain her cover."

"What if she's innocent?"

"She ordered these cases. How could she be innocent?" Charles asked incredulously.

"She could have ordered them under duress." Harry shot back. "Listen, I'm not saying that she's innocent but it seems like there are too many possibilities to just assume that she's guilty. You put out a warrant for her?"

"Yes."

"It was a dead or alive warrant, was it not?" Harry asked.

Charles waited a beat before he answered. "Yes."

"The Ministry never changes." Harry barked dismissively. "Even if Kathryn is with the Masters, she's not the top of the chain. You could potentially kill your only chance to climb the food chain because you want to be seen doing something."

Charles huffed in frustration before standing and collecting his things.

"You'll let us know if she contacts you." Charles said. It was clearly not a question but an order.

"I doubt she will."

"And yet..." Charles replied. The rest of his command did not need to be said as he turned and went back through the fireplace, returning to the Ministry and leaving Harry very confused.

The very moment that Charles left the room, another letter appeared on Harry's desk. Despite the rage that he felt at the possibility of Kathryn attempting to screw with him, Harry ripped the letter open and read it quickly.

_Meet me on the Astronomy Tower._

It was short and direct. Instantly, Harry stood from his desk and marched out of the room. While Harry was relatively certain that Kathryn had nothing to do with this, he couldn't be certain and that left him in a strange place. Ever since his time at the Academy, Kathryn had been someone that he had trusted. If she were truly capable of summarily executing fifteen Aurors by sending them to their deaths, Harry hadn't seen it in her before.

But he had also been tricked before by Draco Malfoy.

He wouldn't allow it to happen again.

Several professors noticed the Headmaster march past their offices. Even at this late hour, Harry would have normally stopped to say hello at the very least. Instead, he pressed forward with a purpose ignoring everyone around him. Reaching the base of the tower, Harry took to the stairs with a fervor, nearly sprinting as he scaled the tallest tower in the castle. By the time he reached the top, he was exhausted, drenched in sweat and ready for bed.

But beyond that, Harry was furious. Standing at the far end of the circular platform was the Head of the Auror Office, simply watching the stars. With a wave of his wand, Harry grabbed Kathryn and dragged her back across the platform, levitating her just in front of him so that her eyes were brought up to his level.

"Talk, Kathryn." Harry growled in a voice even he hardly recognized. "Now."

"Hope was here, right?" Kathryn asked, desperately looking side to side.

"Speak!" Harry ordered, his wand outstretched before him aimed between her eyes. "I just had the Senior Undersecretary in my office come here and tell me that you were the reason fifteen Aurors were sent to their deaths. Give me one good reason why I shouldn't owl Hope right now and let him know that you're here."

"Because if you do that, then Hope will get exactly what he wanted."

"Hope is setting you up?" Harry said lightly, chortling at the thought of Charles Hope betraying them all. "Charles Hope? The most dignified man in the history of the English Ministry?"

"He's tired of the Muggle dictating the world to him." Kathryn replied quickly, her words nearly running together. "He wants the opportunity to run things the way he believes they should be run."

"He does that now, Kathryn. Every Minister for the last ten years has listened to every word that man says." Harry replied scathingly. "He's the most powerful man in the Ministry."

"Of course he is! How do you think he convinced me to authorize those missions?"

"Excuse me?"

"After the meeting that I'm sure Hope told you about. The next day, he came to my office and ordered me to send a specific list of Aurors."

"He just told me he knew nothing about it."

"Of course that's what he told you!" Kathryn raged. "He and Diggory had been planning it for months. They were your inside men. That's how the Masters have been so effective at avoiding my department."

"And it couldn't be because you were helping them?" Harry asked her quickly. "Pointing the blame at someone else when it's your department that is tasked with finding them is going to get you nowhere."

Suddenly, Harry heard the door behind him open. Paranoia driving him, Harry's wand swiveled back towards the sound only to find himself pointing his wand at Neville.

"Neville, what are you doing up here?"

"There's someone to see you, Harry." Neville replied before noticing Kathryn behind him. "What the hell is going on?"

"I'm not entirely certain." Harry admitted. "Who is here so late?"

"The Minister of Magic." Neville replied. "Apparently, there's a fugitive who she believes may have come to Hogwarts. She's asking permission to have the Aurors search the castle."

Slowly, Harry turned back to Kathryn. As Harry looked upon her, she did not look afraid. She looked determined.

"I came here for help, Potter." Kathryn said simply.

"Why?"

"Because I figured of all the people I knew, you would be the one to believe me."

"And why should I?" Harry demanded.

"Because you know what kind of person I am."

"You're right." Harry admitted softly. Then, without even a moment's warning, Harry raised his wand and Stunned her.

"Harry!" Neville shouted as he raced towards Kathryn's fallen form.

"Neville, listen to me." Harry said as he grabbed Neville by the shoulder. "Kathryn is the fugitive they mentioned. Right now, I can't be certain if I can trust her, the Minister, the Senior Undersecretary or anyone. But I can trust you, Neville."

"Of course, Harry."

"Then here's what I need you to do." Harry said as he pulled the Marauder's Map out of his robes. "Take Kathryn to the statue of the one-eyed witch by the Defense Classroom. The map will tell you what to do."

"Map?" Neville asked.

Harry pointed his wand at the map. "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good." Instantly, the map began to unfold and show every passageway in the castle.

Neville's eyes swelled as he looked upon the Marauder's Map for the first time.

"Now isn't the time, Nev." Harry urged him gently.

"Oh, right." Neville grinned sheepishly before grabbing Kathryn and towards the stairs. "Where are you going?"

Harry chuckled darkly. "To meet with our dear Minister of Magic."

After summoning his Firebolt, Harry was able to fly back down to the Entrance Hall where Samantha Lyman stood with her entourage which happened to include Senior Undersecretary Charles Hope and new Department Head Percy Weasley. As Harry jumped off his broom, he Banished it back to its place in his office before approaching the Minister's team.

"My apologies for the delay, Minister. We had a report of students out of bed in the Astronomy Tower." Harry fibbed.

"No worries, Headmaster." Samantha replied as she took Harry's hand and shook it firmly. "I am here because we believe that Kathryn Downey has fled to Hogwarts."

"Because of the accusations Charles told me about?" Harry asked.

"These are not just any sort of accusations, Mr. Potter." Charles snapped.

"And yet, until we have more evidence, they are accusations still the same. No one saw her order the missions and until we can discover who made them secret, there isn't going to be much of a case to bring up against her." Harry smirked as Charles stared at him wordlessly. "Lest you forget, Charles, I was an Auror briefly."

"Either way, she has been formally charged with a variety of crimes. As of an hour ago, in absence of a Head of Aurors, I had Mr. Weasley issue a warrant for her immediate arrest."

"I'm aware." Harry said as he nodded towards Percy. "I am also aware that you worded it in such a way that would allow Aurors to kill her without provocation."

"If she is the mole that we've been looking for, then there is no room for tolerance, Harry." Samantha pleaded. Harry couldn't believe what he was hearing. He had such high hopes for Samantha. Whether he believed Kathryn was guilty or innocent had no bearing on his feelings for her actions. She was being foolish and acting rashly so that it seemed that she was in control of the situation.

It was distinctly possible that she would end up sacrificing the life of an innocent woman in order maintain that perception.

"If you believe that it was prudent, Minister, who am I to protest?" Harry said, although his tone made it clear that he was protesting. "Now, I was told by one of my professors that you wish to search the grounds."

"Under your supervision, of course." Percy added from behind Samantha.

"Of course." Samantha also chimed in. "We do not want to seem like we are intruding."

"And yet, you are." Harry reminded her. "Why do you believe that Kathryn would come here?"

"You are a friend." Charles replied. "In fact, you might be her closest friend." Harry did not like the way Charles worded that.

"Is that an accusation?" Harry barked, getting to within inches of the Senior Undersecretary's face. "I certainly hope it was not, Charles. As for her coming here, I have not seen her."

"Have any of your professors?" Percy asked. Clearly, he was doing his best to maintain civility between the two sides.

"I'm not certain, Percy." Harry said, lying blatantly to Percy. "I suppose I have no choice in this matter."

"Legally, you do not." Charles replied. Harry resisted the urge to punch the old man in the face. Then, Harry thought about it. Something about Charles seemed off. Minutes early, he had been calm and informative, never once suggesting that Harry could be working with Kathryn.

Now, he was aggressive, nearly directly suggesting their corroboration.

Something was different. It was possible that it was just Kathryn's words bleeding into his mind but Harry thought that unlikely.

"Yet, we do ask permission, Headmaster." Percy countered, again playing the referee.

"I suppose I can appreciate that." Harry admitted before turning to Samantha. "I have conditions."

"You are not allowed conditions." Samantha replied. "This school is funded with Ministry money and operated under Ministry guidelines. You have no ability to ask for anything."

"And yet, I will." Harry answered, turning to face Samantha directly. "No Auror will enter the building without being accompanied by a member of my staff. No Auror will enter a Common Room or dorm room without at least _two_ members of my staff. No findings will be reported until the search is completed and then only to you and myself. No one else. Am I clear?"

"Clear, yes. But-" Samantha started before Percy grabbed her and whispered something her ear. "Very well, Harry. Have it your way."

"Percy reminded you that there is a way to do things, right?"

"Something along those lines." Samantha said through pursed lips.

"Well then, let's be on our way."

* * *

After nearly ten hours of searching, Harry and Samantha stood once again the Entrance Hall as the senior Auror on Duty gave his report. They found no evidence that Kathryn Downey had entered the school since her warrant was issued and did not find any evidence of her leaving either.

Harry was aware that Kathryn Downey was good but to enter a place like Hogwarts without leaving any sort of magical trace was damn near impossible.

"Thank you, Auror." Harry said with a smile as he turned to Samantha. "I suppose that's it."

"I suppose it is." Samantha agreed, her teeth grinding. "Thank you again for allowing us access."

"As you so eloquently put it, Minister, I did not allow you access." Harry reminded her sternly.

"Yes."

Samantha Lyman turned and joined the rest of her group who walked out the front door. The very moment that she was gone, Harry raced back up the stairs towards the Defense Against the Dark Arts Classroom. After clearing the hallway of any students, Harry tapped his wand against the statue.

As it opened, Harry's stomach sank as he went blind with rage.

Kathryn Downey was gone.


	14. Chapter 14

The first thing that Harry did after seeing that Kathryn had disappeared was let out a string of silent obscenities that even Ron would have been embarrassed to hear.

The next thing he did was act. Turning on the spot, Harry raced back to the Entrance Hall where most of the professors remained.

"Thank you for your actions this evening." Harry said, doing his best to maintain a level of composure that he certainly did not feel. "I will be cancelling classes today since none of us slept last night."

"Thank god." Bill muttered.

"Please take this time to get some sleep." Harry requested. "Breakfast will start in a few hours. Gemma, I would like you to assign rotating shifts for the day to ensure that there are enough teachers on duty."

"Absolutely."

"I am going to shut down the grounds for the day in case Kathryn does decide to try and enter the school." Harry lied. "Now, I need to see Professors Granger, Weasley, Longbottom and Lovegood for a moment. The rest of you are dismissed."

Almost all of the professors vanished from the Entrance Hall within seconds. Only Minerva stayed behind for a second to get more information on just what Harry was doing. After he told her what the rest of them were doing, she also made her way to her chambers.

Once Harry was certain the Entrance Hall was clear, Harry turned to the other four.

"Here's the deal: Kathryn Downey was here." Harry started, noting that none of them looked surprised. "I'm not exactly certain what's going on but fifteen Aurors were assigned undercover duty with the Masters of Death and then disappeared. Hope has pointed the finger at Kathryn but Kathryn says it was Hope. I had stunned Kathryn and placed her in one of the secret exits to the school leading to Hogsmeade."

"I take it she's not here anymore?" Bill asked.

"Yes. Now, it is of the utmost importance that we find her and we need to do it quietly. If anyone gets word that she was here, I'm going to have the Ministry so far up my ass, we'll need a Summoning Charm to get them back out."

"Harry!" Hermione scolded him.

"So, Bill and Luna, I want the two of you to start looking in the Forbidden Forest."

"You think she made it that far?" Luna asked.

"No, but we can't take the chance that she didn't." Harry admitted before turning to Neville. "Get a broom and scan the grounds."

"Done." Neville said firmly before going on his way.

"We're going to Hogsmeade." Harry told Hermione. "I want you to meet with Aberforth and scan the town."

"Where are you going?"

"I'm going through the secret passage. Firstly so that I can close it permanently. Second, I need to make sure that she didn't choose to hide in there rather than come out."

That's what Harry would have done. Instead of leaving instantly, Harry would have waited for a few hours in the tunnel before sneaking out after any search parties may have been sent. Since Harry had no idea how long Kathryn had been awake, he could only hope that she thought they were done looking for her and maybe they would get lucky.

However unlikely that was.

"You have two hours before breakfast. I'll ensure that Gemma doesn't put any of you on first rotation. We must find her."

"We'll do our best." Hermione said with a smile before the group dispersed. Once Harry saw that everyone was going about their task, he swiftly went back up the stairs to the statue where the secret passage was hidden. Tapping the statue and whispering the incantation _"Dissendium,"_ Harry then got on his hands and knees to enter the passageway.

In the years since his third year, Harry had forgotten just how small this passage was. While he was eventually able to stand, he was still forced to crouch in order to move. Moving as quickly as he could, Harry took only thirty minutes to make it to the cellar of Honeyduke's.

Pulling his invisibility cloak on, Harry quickly scanned the store. It took him only a few minutes and a couple of revealing charms to confirm that she wasn't inside the store. Taking off his cloak, Harry exited the store into the main street of Hogsmeade where Harry saw Hermione and Aberforth standing off into the distance.

"Find anything?" Harry shouted as he approached.

Aberforth nodded slightly. "We've got a couple of people that saw someone who matches Downey's description running through town. Last they saw her, she was running for one of the paths that lead into the mountains."

Exactly the last place that Harry wanted to go searching for her. In fact, he knew that he didn't have the time to go searching for her in the mountains.

Which was precisely the reason that she had gone there.

Still the question remained: why had she run in the first place? Did she wake up and hear the Aurors searching the castle and fear she would be found? Did she not trust Harry not to turn her over to the Ministry?

Whatever the case was, her flight from Hogwarts had made the entire situation much more complicated, which only made Harry more infuriated by the minute.

"Does anything seem out of the ordinary?" Harry asked Aberforth.

"What do you mean?"

"Anyone notice anything?"

"Other than the woman running through town?"

"Did anyone recognize her?" Harry pressed. "Aberforth, you and I both know that we can't afford for it to get out that I was harboring Kathryn. Even if it's not for the reasons that the Ministry thinks, it'll only end up with me in Azkaban if it gets out."

"The people that saw her are quiet folk. I don't imagine they could tell the difference between Kathryn Downey, Samantha Lyman and Hermione herself."

"That's not exactly comforting."

"The people that live here like their quiet, Potter." Aberforth snapped. "Why do you think they choose to live in a small wizarding village with nothing else around?"

Harry certainly couldn't argue that point, although it still didn't truly put him at ease. Regardless, there was nothing that could be done now. A search party would have to wait. If there was any possibility that the Minister of Magic had more people watching, their actions after her departure alone would be damning but sending a search party into the mountains would be the straw that broke the camel's back...and sent Harry to Azkaban for harboring a fugitive.

"Let's get back to the school." Harry sighed as he shook Aberforth's hand. "Thanks for keeping an eye out for us."

"Glad to be of help. Hope you find her."

"You and me both." Harry said as he turned and began walking back towards the school. Within just a few moments, Hermione had caught up with him.

"Are you okay?" Hermione asked cautiously.

"I'll be fine." Harry lied tensely.

"That doesn't answer my question." Hermione pressed. "Are you okay?"

"Let me think, one of the few people that I knew for certain was an ally inside in the Ministry has now been accused by one of the most respected Ministry officials ever of being a traitor. Not only that, but then she showed up at my school where I hid her presence from the Ministry, only to lose her into the mountains. What do you think, Hermione?"

"I think you're angry but taking it out on me isn't going to help." Hermione replied honestly. Taking a deep breath, Harry knew that she was right but the situation with the Masters of Death was deteriorating quickly and there didn't seem to be anything that he could do about it.

"Sorry." Harry said shortly.

"That's it?"

"I am sorry." Harry said, stopping to face her. "I just thought that we were past this."

"Past what?" Hermione asked.

"The doomsday scenario. The group of crazed murderers trying to take over the world."

"We were, Harry. It's been five years since Malfoy. Five years where the only concern that we truly had in the world was Amos Diggory. Diggory may have been a terrible boss and a politician that neither of us saw eye to eye with but in the grand scheme of things, he was not a terrible man."

"I know."

For a few minutes, the pair walked side by side in silence. Harry had to admit that she was right. Half a decade of peace was not nothing.

"I'm going to tell you something that you won't like." Hermione muttered as they crossed onto the grounds of Hogwarts.

"Yes?"

Hermione stopped in place and took Harry's hands in front of her. For a moment, her eyes locked onto his before falling away, staring at the ground in front of her. It was very unlike Hermione to fidget and look away, something that didn't bode well for what she was about to say to him.

"For almost everyone, the peace hasn't left. There is no war to fight right now." Hermione finally whispered, her voice barely audible.

"How can you say that?" Harry asked in desperation. "You know about the Masters of Death."

"Of course I do. I live and love the great Harry Potter. But for most of the country, they don't know you on a personal level. They will never have to fight your battles. They'll never experience what it's like to be in your position. Even if we do end up going to war with The Masters of Death, the common man will be dragged in at the last minute to take orders. They won't have any sort of control over that. And when it's done, for better or worse, they'll all go home and pick up the pieces of their lives."

"Don't we do that? Didn't we do that with Voldemort and Malfoy?"

"Yes." Hermione agreed. "But there is one noticeable difference."

"And that is?"

"After Voldemort and after Malfoy, the common man was no longer responsible for what happened. But you and me: we are responsible. Regardless of however this works out, those of us that truly know what the Masters of Death are like will be held responsible. We won't get to just _move on_."

Of that, Harry was certain. He remembered what life was like after Voldemort. Even after Malfoy, things were harder for a few months as he was forced to answer questions about Malfoy and his involvement on his strike team.

"What's your point?"

"My point, Harry Potter, is that you won't get the normal life you want. The people that want to hurt others, the ones that want control in the world: You are their greatest enemy. They'll do everything within their power to destroy you or bring you down because if they do that, they'll be able to legitimize themselves in a way that no other action could do."

"Other than bringing down you." Harry countered. "You forget, Hermione Granger, that since the Battle of Hogwarts, I am not the most respected person in the world. That title falls squarely on your shoulders."

"Well, then I guess I'm glad that I have you to back me up." Hermione smirked.

"As am I." Harry said with a grin as he placed a soft kiss on her cheeks. "I'll back you up anyday."

* * *

Harry worked through the morning before finally collapsing at his desk sometime around noon. After being awake for nearly forty hours, Harry certainly wasn't capable of staying awake any longer. Rather than returning to his flat, Harry conjured a couch and laid down. Before completely passing out, Harry withdrew his trick Galleon and sent a specific message to a few friends before passing out for several hours.

When Harry woke up, it was the sound of several voices and Hermione tugging on his foot.

"Wake up, Harry." Hermione repeated.

"I'm up, I'm up!" Harry grumbled as he sat up in his seat.

Just like Harry had requested, they were all there ready to talk about what they were going to do with the Downey situation. The typical group of advisors (Kingsley, Arthur, Hermione, Minerva and Ron) was there along with a few others. Percy and Bill sat opposite Harry, obviously unsure as to why they had been called. Gabrielle Delacour was also present, along with her sister and Bill's wife, Fleur.

It was the largest group that Harry had conferred with since the resurgence of whatever this group was. But the situation was dire and time was pressing on them to make calculated decisions, meaning all hands on deck.

Harry explained to everyone exactly what had happened, both with Hope and then with Downey. Once Harry was done speaking, the first question came from Percy.

"Why am I here, Harry?" he asked.

"You are here for two reasons. First, I value your judgement. Second, you are now ideally placed within the Ministry, along with Ron, as a means of getting solid information."

"You expect me to spy on the Minister of Magic?"

"As you are well aware, the Minister of Magic is one of three possible moles for the Masters of Death, something we have not ruled out."

"I can't serve two masters, Harry." Percy pleaded.

"You won't have to." Harry answered. "I'm not asking you to do anything other than your job. However, if there is any information that you deem relevant to what we're talking about here, I'll ask that you liberate yourself of that."

"No action will be required?"

"Of you, no." Harry said as he turned to Ron. "However-"

"Whatever you need." Ron confirmed before Harry could even ask anything of him. "It'll be hard but I'll get it done."

"Thank you." Harry replied before sitting behind his desk. "As of yet, the Ministry has no damning evidence for Kathryn's case. However, that does not mean that I believe her to be innocent. I simply believe that the Ministry is rushing into this without considering all of their options."

"As do I." Kingsley replied. "Even for someone new like Samantha, issuing a death warrant without irrefutable evidence is incredibly irresponsible."

"So what do we do?" Harry asked the room.

"About what?" Bill asked.

"About Kathryn Downey. She is likely hiding out in the mountains north of the school. She knows that the Ministry will have likely traced the area around the school grounds under suspicion of her presence here. That means that she'll be travelling slowly via non-magical means."

"You mean to send someone in there to find her?" Minerva asked.

"Should we?" Harry asked. "That's what I'm asking."

"Why would you?" Gabrielle asked suddenly as the room turned to her. To be honest, Harry was a bit surprised that Gabrielle had spoken out. From the way her eyes had scanned the room during the entire meeting, Harry could tell that she more than a little intimidated. "What? Should I shut up?"

"Everyone here is free to speak." Hermione assured her. "Now, why are you against sending someone after her?"

"Because it only makes you look guilty of hiding something." Gabrielle replied. "Due to the amount of magic on the grounds, the Ministry is unable to accurately track magical movement on them."

"How do you know that?" Harry asked curiously.

"I work for the Department of Magical Education and I was hired under Amos Diggory. Regardless of your opinion on him, the man was more than marginally paranoid. He wanted to be able to watch the school in case you took over the world."

Despite everything he knew about Amos Diggory, Harry was always certain the next thing he learned about him would no longer surprise him. Once again, Harry was dead wrong.

"Anyway, in the mountains there is almost no magical activity which means that even your presence is something that would show up should the Ministry choose to monitor the area."

"But if she is innocent…" Harry started before Hermione cut him off.

"If she's innocent, then we have bigger problems." she said suddenly. "Either way, I'm inclined to agree with Gabrielle."

"How can you say that?" Harry asked. "Kathryn has been one of the few people in the Ministry that I knew that I could trust."

Harry suddenly realized that he was surrounded by people that at one point or another, Minerva McGonagall excluded, had all worked at the Ministry of Magic at one point or another.

"You are obviously the exceptions to that rule." Harry chuckled before getting back to business. "Either way, we can't abandon her."

"I agree." Percy replied evenly. "If there's even the chance that either Hope or Lyman are working for the Masters of Death, then we need to find her."

"Because if we don't, they'll kill her." Kingsley agreed firmly.

"Why is zat our problem?" Fleur asked harshly before turning to Harry. "'Arry, I know zat you feel strongly about zis. But we cannot simply jump into zis without knowing more."

"If we don't jump into this," Harry snapped back, shocked that someone could even suggest that Kathryn wasn't their problem. "then we're condemning a woman to die, whether she's innocent or not."

"Sometimes that has to happen." Minerva countered.

Of all the people in the room that Harry expected to side with Kathryn being an acceptable casualty, Minerva McGonagall had not been on that list.

"Why?" Harry said, his voice dark and deeper than usual.

"Because either way, we have to deal with the Ministry. If she's guilty and we go looking for her without their approval, then it looks like we were trying to hide. The entire conversation about Dumbledore's Army and The Order of the Phoenix gets brought back into the light. If she's innocent and we go looking for her, then we're dealing with a corrupt Ministry who will do anything to keep their power. In either case, she's not our concern any longer."

Harry was starting to see their point but there was still one thing that bothered him, something that he just couldn't quite grasp.

"If she is innocent and we leave her to die, how are we any better than Voldemort, Malfoy, The Masters of Death or anyone else?"

"Because we will hopefully have saved the lives of thousands by stopping this plot before it even begins." Gabrielle replied. "Sacrifice one to save a thousand."

"It's chess." Ron said, shaking his head. "You're talking about pawns."

"That's what it's always been, Ronald." Minerva replied before looking back to Harry. "You know that's true."

"Dumbledore treated us like that for years." Harry growled. "Look where it got him. Look where it got _us."_

"He did it because there's no other way to play the game." Minerva said, her voice soft as if to console him. "Trust me, if Albus could have been upfront with everyone, I believe he would have been."

"But he knew the world better than that." Harry muttered, mostly to himself. Every day, despite his occupation, Harry fought the comparison between himself and Dumbledore. Just when he thought he had found himself in a position to completely refute the similarities between them, someone would put him in a position where the only action was something that Dumbledore would have done.

It was slowly making Harry realize that maybe the similarities between the two of them were more a reflection of their surroundings than their personalities. They both stood as the leader of a rebellious faction, standing up for the injustice that their government either caused or tacitly allowed.

"Plus, there may be one way to find out if she's up there without us looking." Hermione said suddenly, the noticeable look of an idea forming in her head.

"Yes?"

"We talk to the centaurs."

"We can't." Harry replied sadly. "Ever since the Battle of Hogwarts, they've declared all wizardkind to be their enemy."

"Not all of us." Hermione said with a smirk. Suddenly, Harry understood exactly who she was talking about. Years ago, Harry would have returned her look. Now, he only thought sadly about the idea in her mind.

"He can't do it."

"How do we know?" Hermione asked. "No one has seen him in months."

"Hagrid lives in the Forest because he can't bear to retire but can hardly move to do the few tasks I've left him. As it is, Goyle has been replacing Hagrid as Gamekeeper in everything but title."

"Maybe this would revive him? A trip to the centaurs?" Ron grinned. "You know Hagrid would love it."

"You also know he would be furious with you if you protected him." Hermione added.

On that account, Harry knew Hermione to be right. Over the last few years, as Harry's responsibilities around the castle had grown, he had attempted to lessen the burden on Hagrid's day-to-day workload.

The resulting argument was something Harry never wanted to experience again. Seeing Hagrid truly angry with someone wasn't totally foreign but being on the receiving end of his rage was new.

As was the fact that when Hagrid was done yelling at him, he had to rest in his chair to recover.

Harry didn't like the idea all that much but he did agree with the others that they couldn't go looking for Kathryn. Unfortunately, that didn't leave much of an alternative to ease Harry's conscience.

"I'll talk with him." Harry conceded. "In the meantime, here is what I would like. Those of you that actively work at the Ministry, keep an eye out. I want constant reports on the Minister and Senior Undersecretary. Don't do anything that would alert them to your true motives."

"Also, don't go out of your way to get intel." Hermione continued. "Give us the information that you can get by doing your job and nothing more. We'll take it from there."

"Be careful." Harry warned wisely. "We're going to need all of you before this is over. I'll call a meeting of the entire group within three days to discuss any new developments at that time."

* * *

It took Harry two whole days before he could meet with Hagrid. In that time, the beginnings of the coming winter had hit the castle hard. Despite the fact that it was only mid-November, snow already covered the tops of his boots, a rarity for this time of year.

Three years earlier, Hagrid had finally consented to a slight lessening of his duties. However, in order to accommodate this, Hagrid's home had to be moved further into the Forest. So, rather than a simple trip to the edge of the grounds, Harry and Hermione were forced to walk nearly thirty minutes into the woods.

In the past, the Forbidden Forest was a relatively safe place in the middle of the day. It was at night that you had to worry about venturing too deep into the woods. But with the centaurs having declared all of wizardkind their enemies, no place in the forest was safe. Harry was granted limited travel rights by Firenze, who still acted as a sort of mediator between man and centaur. But if there was no one around to witness it, Harry was certain that the centaurs would murder them on the spot.

The only person that was exempt from the centaur's wrath was Hagrid. For years, Hagrid had been a part of the Forest. Even still, the remains of the acromantula clan that Aragog had bred refused to attack him. This, plus his move away from the rest of the world and deeper into the woods, had bought him some goodwill from the centaurs.

Harry was glad that Hagrid could spend his waning years in the woods where even the few tasks that he had left could keep him busy. The only unfortunate aspect of the whole thing was that Hagrid's move meant that he rarely saw the half-giant. In fact, it had been nearly four months since his last visit in the woods and Harry found that as the pair got closer to Hagrid's new hut, Harry smiled at the thought of seeing his oldest magical friend.

By the time Harry knocked on the front door of Hagrid's hut, he was grinning ear to ear.

That feeling lasted a grand total of ten seconds as, instead of Hagrid, Luna Lovegood answered the door.

"What's going on?" Harry asked in shock.

"Hagrid's sick." Luna whispered as she opened the door, letting Harry and Hermione walk by. Hagrid's new hut was much larger than his last, meaning that his sleeping chambers were no longer visible as you walked in the door. Still, Harry could hear the deep rumbles of Hagrid's snores vibrate through the whole house.

"Did he call you?" Harry whispered.

"No." Luna said sadly. "I was walking through the woods-"

"What have I told you about that?" Harry scolded. "The woods are barely safe for Hagrid."

"I can take care of myself, _Headmaster."_ Luna fired back. "Anyway, I was wondering through the woods. I was thinking about Papa when I realized that I was at Hagrid's hut. I hadn't seen him in quite some time so I thought that I would visit. But when I knocked, there was no answer."

"Show me." Harry whispered, unable to keep the worry out of his voice.

Sadly, Luna turned and pulled the door behind her open, revealing Hagrid's bedroom. Instantly, the sound of Hagrid's snores tripled in volume. Even considering the dire nature of their situation, Harry couldn't help but chuckle.

But once again, all laughter died when Harry finally laid eyes on Hagrid.

For the entire time that Harry had known him, Hagrid had been larger than life. But that was no longer true. Somehow, someway: the half-giant looked small. For the first time, he could be described as thin. Even in his sleep, his cheeks looked gaunt as they sank back into his face, leaving small indents. His cheekbones were visible for the first time in years and it looked like he was probably half the size around the waist as he had been the last time he had seen him.

It was the image of a dying man and it hurt Harry deeply to think that it had been months since he had seen Hagrid.

Suddenly, Harry felt his legs give out as he fell back into a chair surrounding the kitchen table.

"Harry!" Hermione shouted as she sank to the floor next to him.

His hands felt clammy and wet, his face red. He couldn't believe that Hagrid, the liveliest person that Harry had ever met, looked so weak, so frail. In some ways, Harry wished that Hagrid had died like everyone else in his life, sudden and at his peak.

But the moment the thought crossed Harry's mind, he realized it was selfish of him to think like that. Hagrid deserved a full life and he certainly had lived one.

He also knew that feeling was created by guilt. Harry had done his best to visit Hagrid weekly when he had first started at Hogwarts. Then, he had taken over more of the Headmaster duties from Minerva. Almost at the same time, Hagrid started to slow down and moved further into the woods. In the last year, Harry had probably only seen Hagrid in three occasions.

And since he had taken the Headmaster job, he hadn't seen the half-giant more than once. He had intended to make a weekly visit.

But then Ginny Weasley decided that she wanted to go around beheading Ministry workers and suddenly, all of Harry's attention was focused on bringing down the Masters of Death.

"He's dying." Harry finally croaked when his voice returned to him. Harry had never truly considered the fact that Hagrid had been dying for a long time now. He knew that half-giants aged differently than the rest of them. Internally, Harry had just assumed that he was beginning a slow descent.

Instead, it was a steep drop to a lonely death.

"He was the first magical person I met." Harry said absentmindedly as he turned to Hermione, almost pleading with her to do something.

"I know." Hermione whispered. Her voice was so soft that it was almost inaudible.

"How long do you think he has?" Harry asked Luna.

"Not long." Luna admitted. "Based on his condition, I would guess that he has been like this for awhile now."

"How long?"

"Harry…."

"How. Long?" Harry demanded deliberately, his teeth grinding as Hermione refused to answer him.

"Probably two months at the least." Hermione said, her voice resigned to the terrible news she was delivering Harry. "I don't know much about this kind of thing, Harry, but from his condition, he's been bedridden for quite awhile."

"Who's been taking care of him?"

"Me."

The new voice startled Harry. Turning around, Harry saw Neville standing in the doorway, his eyes not meeting his. All of the sorrow that Harry felt for his dying friend disappeared in a moment.

Instead, it was replaced by a rage that Harry hadn't felt in years.

Not since the Department of Mysteries.

Not since Sirius.

"How?" Harry managed to utter instead of pummeling Neville into oblivion like he wanted.

"How...what?" Neville asked.

"How could you be taking care of him and not tell me?"

"'Cause I asked him tuh." came the meek reply from the other room. Turning around, Harry saw Hagrid had woken up and was now leaning against his pillow. However, he also noticed that this little amount of work seemed to have been a lot of work for him as lines of sweat now covered his brow.

"Hagrid!" Harry shouted with joy, ignoring his anger with Neville to come to Hagrid's side. "Why didn't you tell me? Why keep this from me?"

"'Cause I knew you woulda worried too much 'bout meh." Hagrid said with a weak smile. "You got a good heart."

"Hagrid, there has to be something we could have done." Harry pleaded. "You can't give up like this."

"Give up? I'm nearly eighty years old, Harry." Hagrid replied. "I done plenty o' livin'. I seen men great and terrible come...and go. I worked for the _two_ greatest Headmasters in the history of Hogwarts."

"Hagrid…"

"Don't try yer protestin', Potter." Hagrid joked, although his smile was stymied by a rough cough. "Yeh may be new but I know yeh'll be great."

"Thank you." Harry whispered, tears forming in his eyes. "You know, you've meant a great deal to me, Hagrid. You brought me to this world and gave me a life that I never knew was possible. Without you, I probably would have been condemned to that cupboard for life."

"Rubbish." Hagrid said simply. "Someone as great as you? Yeh would have figured yer way out, mark my words."

Then, Harry noticed something in Hagrid's hands, something that Hagrid was offering to him. Taking the object, Harry realized it was a photo album much like the one that Hagrid had given him at the end of his first year.

But this one was different. The picture on the front was actually two. The first was a picture of Harry and Hagrid at some point during Harry's first year. The second was….The second was a picture of the pair of them on the day Harry was announced to become the next Headmaster at Hogwarts.

Opening the book, Harry saw pictures of the two of them over the years. Sometimes Ron or Hermione, even Ginny, would be featured in the photos but one thing remained true in all of them: Harry and Hagrid.

Looking up, Harry could see that Hagrid was crying, although his typically raucous sobs were more subdued than usual.

"I never had a boy of me own." Hagrid whispered. "But if I had, I woulda wished he was like you."

Harry was speechless. Hagrid had never been one to speak like that even to those that he cared about immensely. While Harry knew that Hagrid had seen Dumbledore as a father of sorts, he had never stopped to think that maybe Hagrid also considered him a son of his own.

For a few seconds, Harry had tried to respond. Nothing appropriate came to mind. Only tears. He took the book into his arms as he took Hagrid's giant hands into his own. While Harry never said anything back to Hagrid, he liked to think that his actions spoke louder than his words ever could.

Harry sat by Hagrid's side as the half-giant grew weaker and weaker. As time went on, Harry just started talking. He informed Hagrid on his life with Hermione, how the school was going, even the issues with the Masters of Death. They laughed like they had all those years ago in his first hut when he, Ron and Hermione would visit. But with every laugh, both of them knew that Hagrid's time for laughing was numbered.

Unfortunately, they were right. With every hour, Hagrid grew weaker. It took more effort for him to breath and eventually even sitting up was too much effort for him.

But for Harry, time seemed to slow down as he watched his oldest friend and surrogate father move on. Eventually, Hermione and Luna left to get some sleep, leaving Neville and Harry alone with the dying man.

Sometime around dusk, Hagrid closed his eyes and drifted to sleep. Despite the fact that Harry knew Hagrid would never wake up again and he wasn't certain that Hagrid could hear him, Harry continued to talk.

As Hagrid's breathing grew more ragged and broken, Harry finally admitted something that he hadn't to anyone, not even Hermione.

"I'm afraid of death." Harry whispered. "I know I shouldn't be since I've been around it my entire life. I'm not afraid of dying personally. I'm afraid of you dying, of Ron and Hermione and the rest of my family dying. One day, you're there and then the next...the next, you aren't. How do you go on from that? How do you accept that a part of life is that it ends?...And why don't I know the answers to these questions yet?"

Not surprisingly, Hagrid didn't answer. In fact, when Harry asked that question sometime in the early hours of the morning, Hagrid was barely moving. However, there was someone else who was there.

"You can't be expected to know everything." Neville said with a smirk.

"I know." Harry admitted. "You would just think that with all the death I've seen, I would have grown accustomed to it."

"I wouldn't want that for you and neither would anyone else." Neville retorted. "The reason that I trust you, the reason that I follow your orders when you don't give me all that information is because you've looked death in the eye and you didn't blink. You were and always have been courageous. But that doesn't make you fearless. And nor should it: Fear makes you human."

"Hermione said something to me like that at some point." Harry replied, his eyes locked on Hagrid.

"She is the brightest witch of our age. Of course she did." Neville said as he placed a firm hand on Harry's shoulder. "I'm going to go. You're staying?"

Harry nodded simply in reply.

"Good. You should be here when it happens."

"So should you." Harry said tearfully, his voice croaking as he fought through the sadness that began to consume him. "You should be here too."

"He has you." Neville reasoned.

"Fine. Then be here for me."

For a moment, it looked like Neville would still leave. But after a moment of indecision, he returned to his seat.

At that point, there was nothing much left for them to do but wait. And wait they did. In the prime of his life, Hagrid had been the strongest person Harry had ever known and that held true to his death.

By the time noon of the next day hit, Harry and Neville were still sitting and waiting as Hermione and Luna returned to relieve they.

But nothing they said could convince them to move. Instead, Hermione and Luna pulled up chairs next to the pair of them, joining them.

Finally, just after sunset, Hagrid breathed in deep, like his body was preparing to submerge itself into a deep body of water. Then just as slowly, the air was released, his chest sunk and he was still.

Even in the torment of his youth, Harry had never been one for tears. It wasn't that he considered it a sign of weakness. Harry simply didn't typically express himself in that way.

But as the realization of what just happened struck Harry, he slipped forward on his chair, sobs shaking his body as he laid his head upon Hagrid's resting form. For nearly an hour, Harry laid on Hagrid's chest, a pit forming in the very depths of his heart that Harry didn't know how to shake except with his tears.

Finally, when his body could take no more, Harry collapsed on the floor with exhaustion. Rather than wake him, Hermione and Luna worked together to levitate Harry to the small couch where Harry could sleep.

It wouldn't be comfortable but then it didn't really matter to Harry at that point.

* * *

The following morning, Harry awoke to find that he was alone inside Hagrid's hut. However, before panic could set in, Harry heard voices coming from outside. Standing, Harry brushed himself off before making his way to the door and opening it to find the entirety of the school's staff standing outside the hut.

"Morning." Harry muttered darkly.

"Harry." Gemma whispered as she climbed the stairs and wrapped her arms around him. Frequently, Gemma found herself compared to Minerva McGonagall. It was in this moment that he realized just how similar they were. While both were stern authority figures in the school, they also genuinely cared for the people around them.

"What are you all doing here?"

"I cancelled classes for the remainder of the week." Gemma answered. Before Harry could protest, she continued. "With the search at the beginning of the week, we were already working uphill. Then, you spent the entire day out of the building here."

Once more Harry started to protest but Gemma was too quick.

"None of us blame you, Harry. But with you gone for all of yesterday and now the death of the longest tenured staff member in the school's history, we could all use some time away from the classroom."

"I suppose you're right." Harry admitted. "What now?"

"Breakfast starts in thirty minutes. I've ordered all students be in attendance promptly. If you are not up to it, I'm prepared to inform the students."

"I will do it." Harry said as he marched past Gemma. "It needs to be me."

At that very moment, Hermione came to his side.

"It doesn't need to be you, Harry." Hermione said with a knowing look.

"I am the Headmaster of this school and I will be the one to inform the students." Harry said firmly as his jaw quivered. "It is my duty."

Suddenly, Hermione grabbed his arm and stopped him, forcing the rest of the staff to abruptly halt in place.

"Duty be damned, Harry!" Hermione shouted. "You need to think about yourself. You stayed by his side for nearly thirty hours. You didn't sleep for one second. You've done everything you possible could for Hagrid. He's at rest and you need to do some resting too."

"I will." Harry said, fighting the urge to snap at her that he knew was formed from grief and exhaustion. "But after I tell the students. Some of these children worked for Hagrid. They loved him like we did. It's only right that they're informed."

"They can be informed by anyone." Hermione reminded him.

"Yes, they can. But I want to do it."

Harry could tell by the look on Hermione's face that she understood that Harry was done arguing about it. He knew he was exhausted and probably looked terrible. But besides the fact that Hagrid was a father figure and friend to many, he was also devoted to Hogwarts in a way that no one else could compete with.

Not even Harry himself, who had considered the castle his home for many years. But considering something to be your home and it _actually be your home_ were two different things entirely.

It took Harry roughly ten minutes to walk back up to the castle and into the Great Hall where the students rose as he marched in. It was a rare sign of respect from the students who were obviously aware that something out of the ordinary was going on. When Harry reached the Head Table, he did not sit.

Instead, he found a spot behind the candelabra that Dumbledore had placed in the Great Hall years earlier and motioned for the students to sit.

"I'm sure that some of you already know what I am about to tell you. Unfortunately, our Gamekeeper, Rubeus Hagrid has passed away in the early hours of yesterday evening." Harry started before realizing that he sounded oddly formulaic when it came to talking about the giant man that he was talking about. "Hagrid was Hogwarts. There's no question about it. Other than the building itself, nothing was more steady about Hogwarts that Hagrid. Since 1943 when he started his apprenticeship, Hagrid has lived on the grounds of Hogwarts, working the land and fauna of the Forbidden Forest."

Suddenly, Harry found himself chuckling at the thought of a long forgotten memory.

"My third year, Hagrid was named Professor of Care of Magical Creatures. He assigned everyone this book. It was dangerous with teeth and a personality that would make Professor Fairley look warm and fuzzy." Harry said with a pointed grin at Gemma. "The first day of class, we all showed up with belts and ropes and all sorts of things holding the books closed so that we wouldn't be bitten. It was only when someone asked how to open the book that Hagrid grabbed it and stroked the spine, which caused it to calm down instantly. Weeks later, I asked Hagrid if he had found that out from the author. For a few moments, he looked at me like I was utterly insane and then said: _"Well o' course not. I know me creatures and every creature likes havin' its back scratched!"_

Harry realized that only a few of the students were laughing. Normally, this may have bothered him but Harry found that he was speaking to Hagrid as much as anyone else.

"Rubeus Hagrid was larger than life, both physically and in personality. He often did things that seemed outright insane to the rest of us and never quite understood why we gave him crazy looks for it after the fact. But there's no doubt that Hagrid loved this school more than anything in his life. His death is a tragic loss for the school and those that got to know and love him."

Suddenly, Harry knew what he must do. Thankfully, it was something that he was authorized to do.

"Only one person remains interred at Hogwarts, my mentor: Albus Dumbledore." Harry said as tears began to do their very best to overwhelm him. "After Hagrid's service tomorrow, there will be two. There is no greater honor that I can bestow upon my first friend than to allow him to be buried in the only place that Hagrid ever truly knew as home."

Looking to the back of the room, Harry saw Hermione, Luna and Neville standing side-by-side, each holding each other's hands as Harry spoke. He made eye contact with each of them and each nodded in approval, knowing that Harry had honored Hagrid in a way that no one else could.

While Harry would always miss his friend, it was the least that he could do for the man-the wizard who had introduced him to the world that he loved so very much.


	15. Chapter 15

The following Saturday, Rubeus Hagrid was laid to rest at Hogwarts. It was a small ceremony, attended mostly by former members of the staff at Hogwarts and members of the Order of the Phoenix. When it was done, Harry stayed to see Hagrid's body laid to rest directly next to the man who had first shown faith in him, Albus Dumbledore.

Harry wanted nothing more than to remain at the site and stay with his friend. But Harry knew that Hagrid would have wanted him to get back to work.

And Harry did have work to do. From his spot on the island where Hagrid was buried, Harry Apparated to the front room of Grimmauld Place where his next meeting would be held. Harry actually had two meetings that day. The second would be a meeting of the entire group, a group that Harry was referring to simply as The Union.

But his first meeting was already present when Harry walked into his upstairs office. Smiling as best he could, Harry took his seat at his desk and looked across to see none other than Daphne Greengrass.

"Morning." Harry uttered as he sat. "I hope you haven't been here long."

"No longer than is acceptable to wait for someone who was at a funeral." Daphne replied kindly. "I am sorry, Harry, truly."

"Why didn't you come today? You were invited."

"Harry, you may consider me an ally but I am well aware of my standing among the rest of your friends."

"The rest of my friends don't know you as well as I do." Harry replied confidently.

"Be thankful that no one else heard you say that. They'll think you're talking about something else entirely." Daphne smirked as Harry silently agreed with her. "Now, what can I do for you?"

"I'm certain you know why you're here, Daphne." Harry replied as he leaned back in his chair. "At the very least, you suspect the reason."

"Who am I spying on?" Daphne asked firmly. Harry wasn't surprised in the least.

"The Masters of Death."

"How?" Daphne asked without blinking an eye.

"By doing your job." Harry answered sharply. "We have reason to believe that there are several well placed spies within the Ministry from the Masters of Death. I already have Ron and Percy Weasley working for me to report anything they find but they're known friends of mine. If these spies are smart, and I suspect they are, then they'll hide everything they can from them."

"And they won't from me? I worked for you on the task force."

"You were immediately rewarded by a promotion to the department of your choice, which gives you the opportunity to use your presence on that force as nothing more than a career move. You are an Unspeakable which means you go where you want without explanation. You have free reign over the Ministry which means you have the ability to be my eyes and ears within it."

Daphne looked skeptical. Clearly she was well suited for the Department of Mysteries.

"You're wondering why I asked you of all people?"

"I am." Daphne admitted.

"Firstly, because you're ideally placed within the Ministry and distanced enough from me to not be so suspicious."

"But more importantly?"

Harry sighed. "More importantly, there is the possibility that I have to ask you to go rogue."

Clearly that was not what Daphne had expected to hear. Taking a moment to collect herself, Daphne pressed onward, although she did look a bit more uncomfortable than usual.

"Why?" Daphne asked rigidly.

"Because we believe that one of the potential spies is the Minister of Magic herself."

Daphne looked nonplused at this revelation. For several seconds, she sat in silence, pondering to herself. Finally, she spoke up.

"You're worried about them coming after you?"

"I'm running an explicitly illegal organization determined to bring down all threats to the country. I'm the most visible killer of dark wizards this country has seen since Dumbledore's younger days and I am not particularly well-liked by the Ministry anyway. If they find out about us, they'll come after me."

"You're using the fact that I'm a Slytherin?" Daphne asked with a slightly satisfied look on her face. "If I go to the other side, no one will think twice because I'm a Slytherin."

"Yes." Harry admitted weakly.

"I like it." Daphne grinned. "You're a better Slytherin than you let on."

"I don't enjoy it." Harry answered honestly. "If I am captured and somehow remain in custody for longer than twenty-four hours, I am going to need you to disappear along with every potential form of surveillance that you have within the Ministry offices."

Reaching into his cloak, Harry handed Daphne a small mirror.

"If this happens, speak my name into the picture. It's secretly a pair of two way mirrors that I've enchanted so that you and only you can access them when you look directly at it and say my name."

"So I can't accidentally use it in my pocket?" Daphne replied as she put the frame in her back.

"No." Harry assured her. "You're agreeing so readily. Why?"

Daphne appeared to think for a few moments before she answered. Finally, she squared up on Harry and answered honestly.

"I am beautiful and I am a Slytherin. Two things that mean that I am constantly underestimated in the world, regardless of the number of OWLs I achieved in school. Despite all that, you don't seem to care about either of them. I could jump on your desk and let you have me right now and I don't think you would move."

"I may move but only to tell you to get the hell off my desk." Harry shot back.

"And the fact that I'm a Slytherin doesn't seem to bother you either. There are very few people in this world that I trust. There are some that I like but far fewer that I trust. You have earned that trust, Potter. So, when you say that I may have to go rogue in order to defeat these people, I trust that you would only put me in that position if you had no other choice."

It was a surprisingly honest and refreshing take from someone who was known for keeping people at arm's length. It was also true. She was of course beautiful but that hardly mattered to Harry. Neither did her house at Hogwarts.

All that mattered to him now was her ability to get the job done, something that Harry would be foolish to doubt.

"I assume that I'm to tell no one about this."

"Correct." Harry confirmed.

"Not even Hermione?"

"No."

"Why?"

"She won't like that I asked in the first place." Harry whispered as he alerted to a breach in the wards. "The rest of the group is starting to arrive. If you receive any word that I have been attacked or arrested-"

"Then I'm gone. I'll wait for you to make contact and we can go from there." Daphne confirmed.

"Good. You are aware you may be joining the Masters of Death if that happens."

"I'll do what needs to be done." Daphne reassured him. "Just don't throw me into the snake pit unless you have to."

"But who better to throw into the pit of snakes than another snake?" Harry jabbed.

"I'll ignore that." Daphne replied, rolling her eyes as she stood. "We should go downstairs."

"No." Harry said urgently. "You need to Apparate from home. Go home, wait a few minutes and then return."

Daphne nodded firmly before turning in place and disappearing before his very eyes. Harry took a deep breath. He hadn't been lying when he said that he wasn't comfortable putting those that he trusted in harm's way. But as Harry realized that Dumbledore had a better grasp on the world that Harry had originally imagined, Harry knew that he would need his own Severus Snape in order to for this to work.

So, he would trust Daphne Greengrass with a task that no one else could have convincingly accomplished.

Readying himself, Harry made his way down the stairs to see that more and more people were popping into the room and making their way to their seats. Two minutes later, Harry saw Daphne appear at the room and nodded to her subtly.

The room filled quickly at the allotted time. Just as Harry was about to begin, Hermione approached him.

"We have a problem." Hermione said with concern. Harry hadn't seen Hermione look this worried in years. Not since Malfoy.

"What is it?"

"Come with me." she said as she grabbed his hand and dragged him to one of the front windows. "Look."

Outside the window was Grimmauld Square, the namesake for the building that housed their current location. Typically, the foot traffic outside their window was high with shoppers coming and going rapidly, filling the sidewalks.

But today, the sidewalks were empty with the exception of two people: Minister of Magic Samantha Lyman and her Senior Undersecretary, Charles Hope.

A feeling of panic flooded Harry's mind as he realized that they had been found. It took him a moment to remember that his wards meant that they couldn't be seen by the Minister but that didn't make things much better for Harry.

Turning back to Hermione, Harry took her hands in his.

"We're going to be fine." Harry assured her before kissing her softly. "You're in charge. I need you to get everyone out here but we can't use any magical means that they can trace effectively."

"So how do we do that?" Hermione asked.

"Prior to the Black's owning this house, it was owned by some Muggles during the Second World War. They built a bomb cellar that leads into the city's sewage tunnels. In the back of the closet in the kitchen is a false wall. Knock it down and get everyone out that way. I want you to split the group in five teams and take them in five separate directions."

"And do what exactly?"

"It's clear that Lyman has enacted some sort of anti-Muggle ward on the square. So, keep casting to check for human activity on the streets above you. When you get outside the ward, then have everyone Apparate back to their homes."

Hermione nodded before coming to a sudden realization. "What are you going to be doing?"

"Talking to the Minister of Magic." Harry replied nervously. When Hermione gave him a look that suggested that Harry might have lost his mind, Harry set out to reassure her. "She knows that I'm here, Hermione. There's no sense in trying to fool her. It's clear that she wanted us to see that she's out there so she expects some kind of meeting. If that's the case, then I don't want to keep her waiting."

Hermione smirked before kissing Harry strongly. "You're insane, you know that, right?"

"I've been reminded of it before." Harry confirmed. "Now, get everyone out of here. If anyone is caught-"

"Then you go to Azkaban, I know." Hermione answered. "Give them hell."

"Language." Harry joked as he made his way down the stairs. As he did, Harry could hear the sound of Hermione's voice followed by the sounds of chairs scraping against the floor above him. It seemed that no one had argued with Hermione because as Harry walked out the door, he could already hear the stairs behind him creaking with the weight of people coming down.

When Harry exited the door, he made sure to ward it as strongly as he could without looking suspicious. Once he was certain it would take nearly an hour to get through the door, Harry turned and faced the Minister.

As Harry got closer, he could tell that she certainly didn't look happy. However, she did not look satisfied either. Instead, she appeared to be sad, distraught almost. The look on Charles Hope's face was similar.

Harry felt bad that he had to misled these two but if they weren't going to steer away from the problems of the Ministry before them, then Harry wasn't about to place his trust in them.

"Minister, Charles: I would say that I'm surprised to see you...but I'm not." Harry said cheerfully as he approached them. Briskly, he shook each of their hands before placing them back in his pockets. "What can I do for you?"

"I'm tired of this, Headmaster." Samantha replied and did seem honest about that. She looked genuinely awful with bags under her red eyes. It appeared as if she hadn't slept well in a month. "You know why I'm here. Why we're here."

"Enlighten me." Harry said coyly.

"Simply put, Mr. Potter, we know that you are running a meeting of the Order of the Phoenix or Dumbledore's Army or both inside that building there."

"That building there is my godfather's ancestral home, which I'm certain you know since you are here. How did you find this place by the way?" Harry questioned them.

"It may be unplottable but that doesn't mean that this location is hidden from the world." Samantha answered firmly. "Magic doesn't just will a place out of existence."

"If only." Harry jokingly prayed to himself.

"This is a serious matter!" Samantha shouted, truly losing her cool with Harry for the first time. "You have been warned what would happen if you restarted either of those groups."

"Where is your evidence that I had restarted them?"

"This location was widely known to be the headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix." Charles answered. "Even if we don't remember the name of it, we were informed that you would be here at this time for a meeting of the Order. And here you are."

"Informed? By who?" Harry demanded.

"That information is confidential." Samantha replied.

"Of course it is." Harry scoffed. "I'll have you know that I use this location as a weekend work station when I need to be away from the school and my home is not conducive to the work that needs done."

"What work is that?" Samantha pressed.

"I had a meeting with Daphne Greengrass regarding her position as an Unspeakable. As you are both aware, she worked on my task force and I wished for her to come speak to my older students."

"We'll be sure to speak to Miss Greengrass." Charles replied firmly. "Will her testimony match yours?"

"Testimony? Am I on trial?"

"You may be." Samantha admitted. "You're not fooling me, Headmaster. You were warned to stay away from this. If you wanted to stop Dark wizards, then quit your job at the school and join the Aurors."

"Where I can be watched closely, I'm sure." Harry barked with contempt. "You know there's a reason that The Ministry can't be trusted. People like myself and Hermione Granger, people with the capacity to actually help are tossed aside in place of those that cater to those in power. You're the same as every Minister before you, Samantha, except for Kingsley. He was a man who didn't care if you worshipped him or hated him as long as you did your job."

"Conveniently, he was also your friend." Samantha fired back. "Don't think that you can outrun this forever. If we need to, I'll bring Greengrass in and subject her to Veritaserum. We'll see how she holds up then."

"Long enough for you to be thrown in prison for flouting every law that states that Veritaserum is only given under the most dire of circumstances. Do you believe that Daphne is working for the Masters of Death?"

"No." Samantha confirmed quickly. "But I do believe that she's working for you."

"Then you are far more misguided than I thought." Harry spat. "You would consider the possibility of Daphne Greengrass working for me more dire than the possibility of her working for terrorists? You know, prior to this conversation, I thought that you were probably right about Kathryn Downey but after hearing this, I can't be sure. Do you even know who your enemies are, Minister? Or have you been bought and paid for this whole time?"

Almost the moment the words were out of Harry's mouth, Hope stepped in between Harry and the Ministry, his wand drawn at his side. It was rare to see Charles Hope as anything beyond simply agitated.

Seeing him nearly out of control was unheard of.

"HOW DARE YOU!?" Charles bellowed. "You have the gall to question the Minister of Magic on her loyalty?"

"When it is worth being questioned, yes." Harry growled. "You may think me your enemy, Minister. You may think, like Fudge and Diggory before you, that I am conspiring against you. But if that's true, then what does that say about you? And don't forget, every person that I have made my enemy has lost in the end."

"Is that a threat, Potter?"

"It depends on how far you want to take this. Either back up your claims that I'm conspiring against you, have me arrested and take this to trial...or sit down and let those who actually know what they're doing take control!"

As those words left Harry's mouth, he knew that they were about as close to a confession as Harry could have possibly made.

And that meant that they were a giant mistake.

"Take control?" Samantha whispered to him cruelly. "You...and whose army?"

"You know what I mean."

"I'm sure I do." Samantha agreed confidently. "This memory will serve me well, Potter. I do hope you have a good day. It may be one of your last before you're behind bars."

Suddenly, Samantha turned in her place and Disapparated, leaving Harry and Hope alone in the square. For a few moments, neither spoke as they took in what had just happened.

Internally, Harry cursed himself. How could he have been stupid enough to admit something like that? It was highly likely that she had simply been baiting him, waiting for him to get angry and make a mistake. If that was the case, then she had succeeded with flying colors.

Thinking on this, Harry breathed deeply as Charles Hope placed a hand on Harry's shoulder. He seemed to have recovered from his momentary lapse of control moments earlier and now looked at Harry earnestly.

"This isn't personal, Harry." Charles assured him. "Even Albus Dumbledore wasn't right about everything. There are ways to do things and there are way things simply shouldn't be done anymore."

"There are ways to die, too." Harry replied, staring at the ground in front of him. "Just because you don't agree with how I do things doesn't mean that I'm wrong."

"When it's against the law, it's wrong." Charles answered.

"When has the Ministry been concerned with the law? Other than when it benefits them." Harry shot back scathingly.

"Headmaster, I know that you may not approve of the Minister but she is doing everything she can to stop this threat. If you stop what you're doing and fall in line, I don't want to see what she does to you."

"Then put me in shackles." Harry challenged him. "You think _Samantha Lyman_ frightens me? Put me in shackles, throw me in Azkaban and we'll see who's right in the end."

Harry knew that Hope was a smarter man than that. Charles proved it to him almost immediately.

"She's new and young. She's also not Hermione Granger. This leads to a great amount of pressure on her." Charles reasoned softly. "I will try and talk her down off this ledge but I will need your help. I'll need your allegiance."

"Assuming she doesn't ask me to give up the names of Dumbledore's Army, you'll have it." Harry nodded.

"Unfortunately," Charles muttered. "I can't guarantee that she won't."

Charles removed his hand from Harry's shoulder and then also Disapparated, leaving Harry alone in the square to think about just how monumentally screwed he was.

* * *

It took Harry twenty four hours for the world as Harry Potter knew it to be flipped completely upside-down. After he had spent the rest of the evening with Hermione and explained to her just what he had said, he had attempted to go to sleep but was able to find none. Instead, he returned to Grimmauld Place where he spent his sleepless hours examining the wards for the third time since his meeting with the Minister of Magic.

While Samantha had said that she had inside information on the general location of Grimmauld Place, Harry wasn't certain that was possible. The entirety of the Order and Dumbledore's Army had the exact address of Grimmauld Place wiped from their mind by Harry's newest ward, which activated the moment they had stepped into the building for the first time.

Still, he couldn't keep himself from wondering if he had missed something when he had added that final layer. If he had, that meant that someone had betrayed them all.

Finally, when he could go on no more, Harry collapsed into his old bed in Grimmauld Place and slept restlessly for a few hours. As the sun shone through the curtains in his room, Harry awoke to find Hermione laying in bed next to him. It was clear that she hadn't been there long. Her hair smelled of her shampoo, a sign that she had recently showered, and she was wearing her traveling cloak.

It was then that Harry remembered that they had planned to go to Gringotts in the morning to check with the goblins there about adding another layer of wards to Grimmauld Place and their home in Hogsmeade just to be safe. Harry knew that he had been neglecting Hermione over the last few weeks as the stress of his job and the looming threat of the Masters of Death began to build. Still, she was here and Harry could never have been more thankful for her.

"Morning." Harry whispered as he woke her gently.

"Good morning." she replied as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes.

"How long have you been here?"

"About an hour." Hermione replied as she checked her watch. "What's going on?"

"What do you mean?"

"You haven't come here to sleep in months. Not since the last time you dreamed about Malfoy." Hermione said as she sat up against the pillow under her head. "What's the matter?"

"I came back to check the wards." Harry admitted.

"Did you find any problems?"

"No. They're just as impenetrable as the last time I checked them. She would have had to visibly attack them in order to break them deep enough to find us."

"So she found out the general area in London where our meetings are held. That's not impossible."

"It just seems unlikely." Harry replied in frustration.

"I agree." Hermione answered, looking worried. "Either way, we can't be certain what's got planned."

"It's not good." Harry replied. "We need to be prepared for anything. That includes the possibility that I end up in a holding cell at the Ministry."

"Yes but let's assume that's the worst case scenario."

"There's only one worse." Harry countered. "I would prefer not to think that Lyman wants me dead."

"Unless she's working for the Masters of Death."

"That is true." Harry said wearily as he checked his watch. "Gringotts is open. Did you want to go now?"

"I actually forgot my bag back at home." Hermione replied as she crawled out of bed. "It has a few of the documents for our apartment that we'll need in order to ward it properly without it interfering with any of the other buildings around it."

"So home and then to Gringotts?"

"Sounds like a plan to me." Hermione said as she kissed Harry gently before taking his hand. Quickly, Harry cast a pair of charms that would clean the pair of them up for public appearance.

Once that was done, Hermione turned and their feet left the ground as they were magically transported to Hogsmeade.

Or what was left of it.

In fact, the only way that Harry would have recognized the small hamlet was if you had told Harry where he landed. They had landed in the middle of the main road, the only place in the town not protected by Anti-Apparition wards Harry had asked to be placed in all areas near the school.

Up the street, Harry saw Aberforth just outside the heap of burning lumber and rubble where the Hog's Head had once stood. There, he was ignoring the flames that threatened to consume him because of the three masked figures attacking him.

The Masters of Death had come to Hogsmeade, Harry suddenly realized. Drawing his wand, Harry sprinted to Aberforth's side where he quickly dispatched of two of the three masked figures. Just as he was about to attack the third, Hermione hexed the last, dropping him where they stood.

"What the hell happened?" Harry asked Aberforth.

"No idea." Aberforth admitted as he started to try and put out the blaze behind him. "One minute, it was a calm Sunday morning. The next, I heard screams coming from the street. I came outside and there were dozens of them, marching through the streets. They were burning everything: businesses, homes, people. I only managed to prevent them from killing Verity before I could get her to bring one of the Weasleys for help. To be honest, I was hoping they would find you."

"Why?"

"Because your home is gone." Aberforth explained over the roar of the flames. "Nothing else to be done about it. They used Fiendfyre and burned it to the ground."

"They did all of this just to get to me?" Harry asked, suddenly feeling a mix of guilt and relief that he hadn't been at home last night. If he had, both he and Hermione might be dead. But if he had been home, maybe he could have stopped more of this.

"HARRY POTTER!"

There was no mistaking that voice. Twice before Harry had heard it. Magically masking both his face and his voice, Harry turned to see the Phantom standing in the middle of the street, flanked on either side by nearly two dozen Masters.

In the relatively diminished numbers of the wizarding world, it was the beginnings of an army, something that even Lord Voldemort had struggled to do for much of his time in England. Now, it appeared that the Masters of Death were ready to eclipse the Death Eaters in terms of sheer size.

Especially if there were more of them out there somewhere.

"What do you want?" Harry bellowed, his wand still in hand.

"The world." The Phantom answered simply. "To take the world back from the pathetic Muggles who have enslaved us."

"You're insane." Harry growled. "You want to take the world for magical peoples and yet here you are, attacking magical people! Why?"

"To prove that we are a force to be reckoned with, Harry." The Phantom taunted smoothly. "As I speak, The Masters of Death have successfully attacked Hogsmeade, Diagon Alley and Godric's Hollow. Not surprisingly, Diagon Alley put up a good fight and forced my Masters to retreat but not before half of Diagon Alley was destroyed. You've seen what I've done to Hogsmeade."

"What about Godric's Hollow?" Harry asked tentatively.

"Razed to the ground." The Phantom said as Harry could almost sense a dark smile behind his mask. "Without anyone to protect it, they stood no chance. Every last man, woman and child in the town are dead."

Godric's Hollow was gone? Harry couldn't believe it.

"Why?" Harry whispered. "Why would you slaughter magical blood?"

"Like I said, Harry, to prove my strength. If you do not acquiesce to my men, if you do not surrender, I will continue to recruit and I will continue to destroy you until all that remain are those loyal to the teachings of Gellert Grindelwald and the Masters of Death. Those that understand that the power of magic should never again be hidden from the world but should take the power rightfully granted to it and put the Muggles back where they belong: under the heel of our boots."

This was madness. For the longest time, Harry had thought that The Masters of Death posed a threat to Muggles and Squibs. But Harry had never thought they would go so far as to attack witches and wizards. It seem counter to everything they believed it.

But Harry realized that he had been sorely mistaken. The Masters of Death didn't view everyone of magical blood as allies but only those that submitted to their will. Much like the Muggles that would one day attempt to defy them, any magical being that chose to fight rather than submit would be like lamb to the slaughter, destroyed for protesting that the world was better with those magical blood hidden from the rest of the world.

He had underestimated just how fanatic these witches and wizards were. It was a mistake that Harry could never afford to make again if the evidence of the burning town around him said.

"You have one week to turn over the Ministry of Magic and Hogwarts School of Magic to me. If that is not done, then what I have done today with seem meek and timid compared to what I will do next."

"You think that we're just going to give up?" Hermione roared. "You may think yourself the next Dark Lord but there is no way we're simply going to give in to you."

"Then that is your choice." The Phantom said simply. "If so, please let me know what you wish your graves to say before I kill you."

Gracefully, The Phantom turned to his men and gave a small signal. With nary a word, the entirety of the Masters of Death disappeared, leaving what was left of the town of Hogsmeade to mourn the death and destruction of their town and loved ones.

For a moment, Harry froze. His underestimation of The Masters of Death had caused this. Consequences be damned, if he had been more aggressive with his strategy and with the combined efforts of the Order and Dumbledore's Army, then maybe he could have stopped something like this.

But that time had come and gone. Now, Harry was forced to do something he never thought he would say.

"Hermione, send word to the castle. Have the students begin packing their things."

"Packing their things?" Hermione asked in confusion.

"I will not allow the Masters of Death access to my students or my staff." Harry growled, the rage he felt deep in his heart building as he heard the cries of the town around him. "I am closing the school."

"What?" Hermione said as Harry took off towards the school. Hermione waved her wand and an otter appeared before sprinting towards the school. "Isn't Hogwarts the safest place for them?"

"Not any longer." Harry admitted. "It's a target and if we don't turn the building over in one week, then The Masters of Death will come marching through our grounds and take it by force."

"But what about the Aurors? Or the Order?"

"Hermione, they just hit three locations with a force of near fifty at each location. Even with the natural protections of the castle, we have nowhere near the manpower in a straight up fight. So, I'm closing the castle and sending everyone home. We'll fight this war using Voldemort's tactics: We're going to disappear and destroy them from the shadows."

The pair were silent as they made their way to the school. Once Harry was inside, he noticed it was pure chaos. Students and staff were running everywhere, everyone looking terrified.

Internally, Harry couldn't blame them. Sundays were often the laziest day at Hogwarts with students routinely rising well after eleven in the morning. To be awoken at a little after eight with the news that Hogsmeade had been attacked and that the school was closing, Harry could see the fear it was causing.

Still, panicking wasn't going to solve anything.

Putting his wand to his throat, Harry amplified his voice so that the whole school could hear him.

"STOP WHAT YOU'RE DOING AND LISTEN!" Harry bellowed, his voice reverberating through the school. "You must remain calm. Panicking in this situation will do far more harm than good. Collect only your personal belongings inside your dormitory. Anything else will be send to you by the house elves. Once you have packed your things, bring your trunks to the Entrance Hall. We will Portkey you to the Hogwarts Express and go from there. Now, please continue to move calmly and kindly."

With that, Harry removed his wand and once again moved towards his office. As expected, several staff members stood outside his office. Waving them inside, Harry moved through the entrance behind the gargoyle to the main room of his office. When he turned around, he saw most of the usual suspects had filled in behind him: Hermione, Neville and Luna with Gemma, Bill and Angelina coming in right behind them.

"What happened?" Angelina asked fearfully.

"The Masters of Death attacked Hogsmeade, Diagon Alley and they destroyed Godric's Hollow. They've demanded that we turn the Ministry and Hogwarts over to them within a week or they'll attack again on a larger scale. I'm refusing to allow them to have the school. As such, I am evacuating the building and then activating the highest level of wards possible. It won't keep them out forever but it will work for the time being."

"We're staying." Angelina replied.

"We've already discussed it." Bill added.

Harry had unfortunately expected this.

"That's much appreciated but the wards won't even allow me to be in the building. The only people that get to stay are the house elves and the ghosts."

"The house elves?" Hermione snapped pointedly.

"They have their own contingency plan." Harry answered. "Their magic is more powerful than I can control with simple wards. Either way, you can't stay."

"Then we'll go to Hogsmeade." Luna replied. "They're going to need help rebuilding."

Harry understood that no one in the room other than Hermione had seen what he had seen but it was still amazing to Harry that they were thinking only about helping. Even Voldemort and his Death Eaters had never been as bold to directly attack an entire town, let alone three locations at the same time.

"The rebuilding will happen. For right now, I think we need to get the hell out of here."

"You're talking about running?" Neville asked him.

"I'm talking about surviving." Harry countered. "We're not ready for the Masters, not even by a long shot. They have been planning this for years and they outnumber us. To be honest, if they had consolidated their forces, I'm not sure we would have been able to hold the castle without calling in massive reinforcements."

"Bullshit." Gemma replied. "The magic of the castle alone would have held them."

"For how long?" Harry asked. "I'm not talking about a ragtag group, Gemma. This is an army. They're organized and they're coming for us."

"So we retreat?" Neville demanded. "That's not like you."

"My goal is to get the children out of the castle." Harry said simply as he sat on his desk. "If we do that, then I think we've been successful. After that, we can think about going on some sort of counter-offensive. But for now, we've been caught with our pants down. To try and come out and punch back without any sort of long standing plan would be suicidal. So, we're all going to get out of here and return to our homes."

"I'm staying." Neville growled, standing his ground.

"You aren't." Harry said simply. "Even if you wanted to, the moment I enact those wards, you would be Apparated to the gate."

"Then I'll wait for them outside the grounds in between here and Hogsmeade. This castle is too important to lose."

As Harry looked around the room, he was glad to see that no one else seemed to be adopting this attitude. Harry knew that his feelings about the castle were shared by Neville. Both of them felt it was their one true home. The place where they had come to become the men they were destined to be.

But for some reason, Neville currently wasn't able to let go of the fact that they needed to think more about the future and the children inside the castle than the castle itself.

However, Harry was fairly certain there was one way that he could change Neville's mind.

"Neville, you have two options. You can come with the rest of us when we escort the students to the Hogwarts Express and then leave the castle."

"Or?" Neville asked, clearly challenging Harry.

"Or...you can remain behind."

"Then I choose to remain behind."

"You'll do so at the risk of your job and your ability to step on the grounds of the school while I remain Headmaster."

Suddenly, the room went silent. It seemed as if no one in the room wanted to look at either Harry or Neville. Instead, they found very interesting locations in the corners of the room to stare.

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me." Harry replied firmly. "If you attempt to stay behind, you are effectively resigning your position and banning yourself from the grounds for as long as I remain in charge."

"You wouldn't dare." Neville scoffed.

"Would you care to test that theory?" Harry replied as he finally stood and approached Neville. "I appreciate what you're doing, I really do. The loyalty you've shown to Hogwarts has and always will be a commendable attitude. But it's not smart. You know it, you're just not willing to appear weak."

"I'm not willing to sacrifice this school!" Neville shouted, his face inches from Harry's as his spit covered Harry's face.

"You think I am!?" Harry returned, a fire blazing from deep inside him at the thought that Harry would ever willingly sacrifice his first home. "These wards are the best in the world! When I activate these wards, it will take weeks for The Masters of Death to enter the school. We can take that time to formulate a plan to take these bastards down. If you have a better idea than running out there and sacrificing yourself to them right now, LET'S HEAR IT!"

No one in the room dared to breath. Neville faced Harry down, barely breathing for fear that if they got too close, Harry may cause Neville to spontaneously combust.

Realizing that this situation was quickly spiraling out of control, Harry backed down, stepping away so that he could speak without the desire to shove his wand down Neville's throat.

"It's very simple, Neville." Harry replied calmly as he took a step away from his former classmate. "I am the Headmaster here, you are not. Your choices as a professor of this institution impact whether I can trust you. So, either get with the program or find yourself a new employer."

It was the first time that Harry had ever truly had to lay down the law as Headmaster. The fact that it was coming in a crisis and with one of his closest friends made things all the more stressful.

Finally, Neville stepped back and relaxed his postured, nodding his head slightly.

"Thank you." Harry replied earnestly. "Now, everyone get to the Entrance Hall so we can start getting these kids out of here."

Suddenly, Sybil Trelawney burst into Harry's office.

"Headmaster!"

"Sybil, what is it?" Harry asked firmly.

"The Minister-" Suddenly, Sybil stopped, unable to breath. It was clear that she had ran from wherever she had come from.

Harry stepped forward and helped Sybil to one of the chairs next to his desk.

"What about the Minister?" Harry asked.

"She's here."

Looking up, Harry saw Samantha Lyman standing in his doorway. However, she had not come alone. Instead, she was flanked by a rather large group consisting of Percy Weasley, Charles Hope, Tiberius Ogden and what Harry assumed was a few Senior Aurors.

Harry had a very bad feeling about what was about to happen.

"Gemma, get everyone out of here." Harry ordered firmly.

"Harry?" Gemma asked with uncertainty.

"Now." Harry growled.

Seeing that Harry wasn't going to tolerate another question, Gemma nodded swiftly before escorting everyone out of the room.

Everyone except Hermione, who clearly had seen the writing on the wall.

"Hermione?"

"I'm staying." she said simply.

"I'm not sure you're going to want to." Percy muttered.

"In fact, I'm sure she won't." Samantha added before turning back to Harry. "Nevertheless, this is your office and she is free to remain."

"I wasn't asking." Harry snapped, standing to escort Sybil to the door before turning back to Samantha and her cadre of men. "What can I do for you?"

"The names of Dumbledore's Army." Samantha said simply. "Provide them to me."

"You know that I won't."

"Unfortunately, Mr. Potter, it is not a matter of choice any longer." Tiberius replied, although he seemed sad about it. "With the attacks this morning, we can't be taking anything to chance. We need all hands on desk, as it were."

"Then call for volunteers." Harry replied simply. "But I will not allow you to enlist my friends and families without conscripting every single witch and wizard of legal age into the Auror's force."

"You know that we couldn't do that if we tried." Ogden answered Harry weakly.

"You mean that you would be removed from office at the next election." Hermione scoffed. "People died today, Godric's Hollow burned to the ground and you're worrying about politics! Merlin!"

"It is my job-" Samantha started before Hermione cut her off.

"It is your job to keep us safe!" Hermione bellowed. "It's your job to do the necessary research to determine the threat level of groups like that. To keep track of them and ensure that there is no movement from them. It's clear that you did nothing of the sort. So, either you are grossly incompetent or in league with the Masters of Death!"

"How dare you!" Samantha shouted as she drew her wand. In the blink of an eye, Harry drew his wand and Disarmed the Minister, catching her wand.

Both Aurors drew their wands and aimed them at Harry, who used his own wand and the Minister's to aim at each of the Aurors.

For a moment, time stood still inside the Headmaster's Office as everyone waited who would strike first. For the second time in as many minutes, Harry was the one to realize that they were standing on a ledge.

And if he jumped, the Minister of Magic would get exactly what she wanted. Instead, Harry returned his wand to its holster before handing the Minister of Magic back her wand. As that happened, the Aurors also lowered their wands, although they remained clearly on edge.

"I will remind you that this is _my_ school, Minister, and that any attempt to curse my staff will result in a criminal investigation." Harry roared, his voice ragged. "Even the Minister of Magic can't afford that."

"It won't matter." Samantha replied as she ordered the Aurors behind her to lower their wands. "Harry James Potter, by order of the Minister of Magic, The Department of Magical Law Enforcement and the Wizengamot, I am placing you under arrest for the refusal to cooperate with an express order from the Minister of Magic."

"An order that is blatantly illegal? Good luck getting that charge to stick." Harry said mockingly.

"It is no longer illegal, Mr. Potter." Tiberius said as he withdrew a scroll from his robes. "As of fifteen minutes ago, The Wizengamot unanimously voted that you be ordered to reveal the names of both The Order of the Phoenix and Dumbledore's Army. Failure to do so will result in your immediate arrest. If found guilty on the charge, you will be placed in Azkaban for a period of three years."

"The law itself is still illegal." Hermione countered. "Based on legislation that I wrote personally, it infringes upon the privacy of our private citizens, something that we barred from being practiced."

"That is true." Hope replied, ironically devoid of any hope at all. "However, in another vote, the Wizengamot granted the Minister of Magic emergency powers. With approval from the Wizengamot, she now has the ability to suspend any non-fundamental law."

"Like the right to privacy." Lyman responded wickedly, her gaze burning as she spat at Hermione. "Gentlemen, I believe that you were in the process of arresting Mr. Potter. I would get on with it."

Well, this was about as bad as things could have possible gotten, Harry thought to himself. Not only had the Masters of Death attacked but Harry was put in the position of either ratting out his friends to the Minister of Magic or going to prison.

However, that choice was a relatively easy one.

The Aurors stepped forward apprehensively. Harry took out his wand and handed it to Hermione, a step that was thankfully still legally allowed for someone that hadn't been accused of murder. Once that was done, the Aurors placed a pair of magic-resistant handcuffs on his wrists.

As they each clamped down on his arm, Harry flinched, realizing that he had just given away his freedom. But as that happened, Harry also had an epiphany of sorts.

"Do you find any wrongdoing on my part as Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Magic?"

"Why?" Percy asked.

"Answer the question." Harry ordered.

"We do not." Percy replied, clearly confused.

"Good." Harry said with a smile. "Then, until I am found innocent or I have served my time in Azkaban, I appoint Hermione Granger interim Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Magic."

"Excuse me?" Tiberius replied as Samantha shouted, "You can't do that!"

"Actually, I can." Harry answered menacingly. "As my crimes have absolutely nothing to do with my position here, I technically retain the ability to remain as Headmaster. Now, with the possibility that I spend the next three years in Azkaban, that would be functionally challenging. So, I have appointed Hermione to serve in my stead as allowed in my magically binding contract. If you attempt to interfere with this _order,_ you run this risk of being expelled from the school permanently."

Clearly, this was not how Samantha Lyman had expected this to go. But Harry was not going to allow her to have both him and the school. While Harry knew that he was valuable, the value of Hogwarts would also reign supreme over his own.

"Now, I would like a moment to say goodbye to Hermione before I go with you."

"We can allow that." Percy interjected. When Samantha look as if she were about to argue, Percy continued. "He is not going to be released during his trial and he will be allowed no visitors. The least we can do for the Man Who Lived is allow him to say goodbye."

While Samantha was clearly perturbed by this, Harry could see that she realized that Percy was likely right.

"Remain with them." Samantha replied to Percy before turning back to Harry. "If you attempt to escape, Mr. Weasley will share your sentence."

"You have no reason to worry about that." Harry replied.

"And yet, I will." Samantha growled before leaving the room, leaving Harry alone with Percy and Hermione. The very moment they were gone, Harry removed the trick galleon from his pocket. When Harry had told them that all of the galleons were identical, he had been mostly telling the truth.

However, Harry's was different. He alone had the capability of erasing the others from existence. Taking his wand back from Hermione, he tapped his wand on his coin three times and thought the incantation. Within just a few seconds, the coin in his hand dematerialized, fading into dust on the floor.

"What are you doing?" Hermione asked him as she fought through tears.

"I'm doing what I have to. We can't afford to lose this school and we certainly can't trust Lyman anymore." Harry reasoned as he pulled Hermione closer. "If I have to go to Azkaban to ensure that happens, then so be it."

"How can you be so calm?"

Looking at Percy, Harry was certain that he would never repeat what Harry was about to say.

"Because I have no intention of remaining in Azkaban." Harry replied. "I have someone working for me."

"Someone?"

"Someone." Harry repeated. "That's all I can tell you. If they torture me to get the information, so be it."

"Can't they use Veritaserum?"

"They could." Harry admitted. "But it won't work."

"Why not?"

"This." Harry said as he walked to a cupboard near Percy. Reaching inside, Harry found a small vial which he quickly downed.

"The antiserum?" Hermione asked.

"It will work for nearly a week. At that point, they'll think that I'm telling the truth about everything."

"This scares me, Harry." Hermione said weakly as she collapsed her head on Harry's shoulder.

"Me too." Harry replied. "But you need to be strong. You are now in charge of this school and our other organizations."

Hermione suddenly lifted her head off Harry's shoulder.

"You want us to continue?"

"Percy will get you what help he can but I doubt that she will trust him much after today. There's too much of a chance that Percy is involved with us."

"True." Percy commented.

"The Ministry isn't going to help at all. It has to be you."

Harry knew that he was laying a huge burden on Hermione, one that he had worn for years. But if there was anyone in the world that could handle it, Hermione Granger was certainly that person.

"We have to go." Percy reminded him.

"I love you." Hermione whispered in Harry's ear before kissing him wildly. When they separated, Harry held her tightly for just a few seconds longer before he pulled her away and looked her dead in the eyes.

"I love you, too. Always."

* * *

Harry wasn't exactly sure what time it was. However, based on the level of activity outside his holding cell in the deep recesses of the Auror Office, Harry had to guess that it was night. For most of the day, there had been a heavy level of activity outside of his cell as Aurors brought people in with relative frequency.

Most of them were small time criminals who had been warned to cease whatever illegal activity they had been doing. Failure to do so meant a night spent in a cell and an appearance in front of the judicial committee of the Wizengamot.

However, over the course of the day, Harry did see one thing that interested him. Roughly an hour after Harry had been brought in, someone had been brought in by a pair of Aurors accompanied by Percy and Charles Hope.

Harry instantly recognized the robes of the Masters of Death as they carried the terrorist to a cell at the far end of the hallway behind Harry's line of sight. For awhile, Harry had been obsessed with trying to see what was going on with him before realizing that there was nothing they would have allowed him to see in the first place.

Just as Harry started wondering what Hermione was doing right now, the lights went out. Wishing he had his wand on him, Harry made his way to the bars that kept him in, hoping to see something.

Anything.

For a few moments, there was a collection of voices, obviously confused about the sudden darkness. Then, the first flash struck from the direction of the captured Master.

And the second.

Then, the flashes came one after the other, each accompanying a voice or grunt as another Auror fell to the ground. Harry realized with horror that the flashes and screams were getting more frequent.

Finally, a shape shifted in front of his cell.

"Move back!"

Not daring to defy the voice, Harry staggered away from the bars, collapsing to the floor and hoping that the person on the other side of the bars wouldn't kill him.

With a single wave of their wand, the shadow evaporated the bars holding Harry in.

This was it, Harry thought to himself as the dark shape approached him.

Cowering in a cell: that was how he was going to die.

"Come with me." the shadow whispered.

"Why the hell would I do that?"

The shadow raised its wand to its face, revealing their identity.

"Because I came to save you, you idiot." Ginny Weasley replied.

"What?"

"Come on, we don't have time!" Ginny said as she grabbed Harry's arm and pulled him to his feet. At the same time, she withdrew a wand and placed it in Harry's hands.

It was remarkably familiar to the touch. Not being able to see it, Harry couldn't confirm but there was no way that-

"It's yours." Ginny confirmed. "I saw you give it to Hermione and stole it from her after the fact. I left a note explaining things."

"Maybe you can do the same for me."

"Once we're out of here." Ginny replied as she handed Harry something else.

"What is this?"

"New glasses. Put them on."

Deciding that listening to her was the best way to go, Harry did as she instructed and put the glasses on. Instantly, Harry could see.

"How?"

"I figured out a loophole in the Peruvian Instant Darkness Powder that Fred and George sell." Ginny said.

"What's the plan?" Harry asked.

"The whole floor is dark. We move to the stairs and get upstairs."

"Won't we have to fight our way out?"

"This is the only floor in the building that allows after hours work to be done."

"This means that you alerted everyone to your presence when you entered the building!" Harry shouted.

"You underestimate me." Ginny replied simply. "I got to you, didn't I? You don't think I would do that without knowing that I could get in and out without being seen or detected. I know Hermione told you what I've been doing for the last few years."

"I suppose." Harry sighed. "Can we go?"

"You're not going to fight me? Give me some noble crap about being broken out of prison?"

"No."

"Why?" Ginny inquired.

"Two reasons. First, I was going to have someone else do it in the first place. Second, if we can stop the Masters of Death, then I'll gladly come back and serve my time."

"Whatever." Ginny replied sharply before turning and marching away, her wand at the ready as she ran. Harry followed her as closely as he could but he soon realized that the work that Ginny had been doing for the last couple years, in combination with the rather sedentary life that Harry had been living, meant that it was rather difficult for Harry to keep up with her.

Doing his best, they finally reached the stairs which they climbed with nothing coming between them and the front door. Exiting the building, Harry relished the free air of the countryside outside the Tower.

"Where to now?" Harry asked.

"That's up to you. You could theoretically go to Grimmauld Place."

"It will be under surveillance. I don't want to go to any of the old places. We'll need somewhere new."

"Well, I don't have anywhere I can go. All I have is my tent." Ginny remarked.

"A tent?" Harry asked.

Then, a rather brilliant idea popped into his mind. Taking Ginny's hand, Harry turned and vanished the both of them from the proximity of the Ministry of Magic.


	16. Chapter 16

When Harry awoke the next morning, it took him several minutes to figure out why he was staring at the roof of a tent rather than the ceiling of his bedroom. But as he stood and shook the sleep out of his eyes, the events of the previous day came back to Harry.

First, Harry remembered that his apartment was gone, burned to the ground with the rest of Hogsmeade in the attack by the Masters of Death.

With a grimace,Harry forced himself to begrudgingly remember his arrest and imprisonment at the Ministry of Magic before Ginny had come to his rescue.

Harry rolled over and noticed that Ginny wasn't in her bunk any longer. In fact, she didn't appear to be anywhere inside the tent at all. Harry found it ironic that after all of this time, he would end up back inside that same tent in the same woods as the last time he had been on the run.

Harry had brought the pair of them to the Forest of Dean. Harry didn't really know why. Maybe it had been because reminded him of Hermione or it simply could have been because he knew how out of the way it was. There was also the bonus of knowing that no one other than Ron and Hermione knew the importance of this place. Despite the number of times that The Golden Trio had been forced to recite the story of their travels, they all had agreed that they would never reveal the exact locations of the places they had stayed.

All three of them had been aware that if they had revealed these places, especially the lake in the Forest of Dean where Gryffindor's Sword had been found, they would have all become tourist attractions for witches and wizards who wished to follow the path that the Golden Trio had taken to destroy Lord Voldemort. So they had been intentional vague about their whereabouts for their missing year, to the chagrin of many in the wizarding media.

This meant that Harry was confident in the secrecy of this place. Combining the lack of general knowledge about this place and the sheer number of shields and wards that Harry had placed around the campsite the previous evening, there was almost no chance of the pair being discovered.

As Harry exited the tent, he noticed Ginny sitting away from the tent, tending to a small fire. Rather than instantly approach her, Harry stood several feet away from her and just watched. When he had seen her in Godric's Hollow, she hadn't appeared that different to him other than the length of her hair.

But now, as he silently observed her, he noticed a collection of small changes. Her general nature seemed more frenetic. While Ginny had always had an energetic persona, she had countered that with a rather calm demeanor until her anger bubbled to the surface. That had changed. Instead, there was nothing about her that seemed calm. All of her movements had a hitch in them as if she was constantly looking over her shoulder while performing even the most routine activities. Several times in the brief period that Harry witnessed, she would stop at the smallest of sounds, her hand instantly moving to her wand holster where she would wait to ensure that there was no one coming to attack. It was a level of paranoia that Harry hadn't felt even during their year on the run. He couldn't imagine all that Ginny had seen to cause this.

All in all, this wasn't even close to the same Ginny Weasley that Harry remembered from before the war. But in all fairness, Harry certainly wasn't the same from that time either.

"I'm not going to bite." Ginny muttered. Of course she knew that he was there. She seemed to pick up on every little sound and movement.

"How long did you know I was there?"

"The moment you stepped outside. I wanted to see what you would do." Ginny said, her voice sharp as she continued to work the fire. "Are you waiting on some sort of invitation?"

"I'm not sure." Harry admitted.

Finally, Ginny turned back to him. When Harry had last truly seen her up close in Godric's Hollow, he had thought her more focused than he had ever seen her. But as he looked at her now, he wondered if he had simply been mistaken.

Ginny Weasley looked broken. It was possible that she had been putting on a good front that night in Godric's Hollow but the focus that Harry had seen was no longer present. Instead, her eyes could barely focus on a single thing for longer than a few seconds before they were travelling somewhere else. This didn't look like paranoia or readiness. It looked like someone who was now physically incapable of relaxing, a state of panic constantly induced by the very movement of the word.

"Breakfast?" Ginny asked suddenly, a smile forming on her face that made Harry uncomfortable for some reason. In the past, Ginny had smiled easily. It had been one of the things that attracted him to her. But now, it appeared as if she was trying to her because her smile appeared to be confined to the lower half of her face as her eyes continued to dart. It was an unsettling picture from someone that Harry had known to be so different years ago.

"You have food?" Harry questioned as he sat down.

"I've been on the run for months, Harry."

"So were we." Harry replied. "During the war."

"Yes, but you were seventeen and not trained as well as I am."

"That certainly seems true." Harry answered. He hesitated slightly before he pressed forward. "Speaking of your training-"

"I don't want to talk about that, Harry." Ginny replied without lifting her eyes from the trail mix she was making.

"That's not an option, Gin." Harry countered, causing Ginny to look up at him skeptically. "You're going to tell me what the hell you were doing or I'll Apparate back to Lyman's office and say that you kidnapped me."

Harry thought that Ginny wasn't going to answer him. Finally, she sighed deeply and put the bowl of berries and grain to the side before sitting back in her makeshift chair.

"What do you want to know?"

"Your history with the Masters of Death." Harry answered sharply. "I know that you were trying to infiltrate them."

"I was."

"You were given this mission about a year ago, correct?"

"Yes." Ginny replied, clearly uninterested in giving more than a few words as an answer.

"So what have you been doing for the last year?"

"Trying to bring down the Masters of Death."

"You're going to have to do better than that." Harry growled. "How? What methods were you using?"

"At first, it was simple observation. The Masters of Death have been largely resurgent on the continent. However, Hermione only believed it was a matter of time before they came here. Considering Britain's connection to Dumbledore and you, I was inclined to agree."

"Did that matter?" Harry asked.

"Did what matter?"

"Whether or not you agreed."

"After having done my job for the last few years with very productive results, she listened to my input. She didn't always act on it. In fact, sometimes she went against my advice expressly. But she listened."

"She's always been good at that." Harry smirked.

"Yeah. Anyway, the main camp for the Masters of Death was rumored to be hidden deep in the Alps away from the Muggles that make their business to live there. In truth, that camp is a front for anyone that might come looking."

"For the Masters?"

"Yes." Ginny confirmed. "Their true camp is a Nurmengard itself."

That information hit Harry like a punch in the stomach.

"What? How is that possible?" Harry asked, the words fumbling out of his mouth. "Hermione has been there personally and saw no sign of any sort of takeover."

"That's because the takeover happened years ago. At some point in the sixties, a descendant of the Masters became the head of security at Nurmengard. Rather than outright take the fortress, they've been patient. Every time a security official would quit, retire or pass away, they were replaced."

"With a member of the Masters of Death." Harry added, finishing the thought.

"Exactly. The fortress has been under the complete control of the Masters of Death since at least 1999 based on the few Masters that I ended up speaking to. To the outside world, even to the German Ministry, it looks as if they're in complete control of the fortress and I suppose they are legally. But at any point, if the Masters of Death were to exercise their true control over the facility, they would be able to do that with almost no resistance."

"So why does Grindelwald remain inside the fortress?"

"He has no need to leave the castle." Ginny answered. "He doesn't even truly run the Masters of Death any longer. He has given control to a single member of his troops."

"The Phantom."

"Yes." Ginny replied. "The Phantom has complete autonomy over the Masters of Death. While Grindelwald still acts as the inspiration for the operations, for all intents and purposes, The Phantom is in charge."

"Do you know who The Phantom is?"

Ginny shook her head. "No one does. Even the few senior members of the Masters that I was able to talk to had no idea who The Phantom is. The Phantom is also the only person who is aware of the identity of every spy within the British Ministry."

"How did you find all of this out?"

Ginny sighed deeply. "When I realized that they were based out of the fortress, I knew I was never get close enough to observe anything. Infiltration was my only option."

"You tried to join them?"

"I didn't try, Harry." Ginny replied stone-faced. "I joined the Masters of Death."

"Merlin." Harry whispered.

"That was about eleven months ago. My cover held up until about three days before Godric's Hollow."

"What broke it?"

"I was ordered to enslave an entire Muggle town. Up until then, anything we had been doing was rather small. Killing magical families and mocking them up to look like Muggles had done them, that sort of thing."

"How many times?"

"More times that I would care to admit. We were doing it everywhere. I always managed to avoid being sent to England so that I could keep my word to Hermione. But a whole Muggle town? I couldn't do it. I had done terrible things for Hermione so that she could keep her hands clean." Ginny said, her voice clenched as she struggled to admit just what she had done. "None of the people that I hurt prior to my work against the Masters of Death were good people. I feel no shame in any of the rest of my work. But the Masters of Death, they're an entirely different animal. There's something about eliminating Muggles like Riddle wanted that seems more pleasant when you consider that these people want to enslave them. They want Muggles as pets, collected for their own sport."

While Harry knew this, he had never been in a position to truly see it for himself. Knowing that Ginny had spent a significant amount of time inside the Masters of Death, he could only imagine the horrors that she had endured in order to maintain her hidden identity.

"When I refused to attack the town, they locked me inside Nurmengard and waited for all of my concealment charms to eventually fade away. Once that was done, they knew exactly who I was. While I may not be Harry Potter, people who keep track of the British Ministry know who I am. Assuming that I was working for you, they tortured me for two days before I finally escaped."

Harry knew this wasn't his fault. Even into the depths of his bones, he knew it was true. But that still couldn't keep the sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach from growing. They had thought she was working for him and so they tortured her.

Because of him.

"I wasn't thinking straight. I should never have contacted you. I should have just come here. Instead, I messaged you. They must have tracked it somehow because when you got to Godric's Hollow, they were already waiting for you."

"When I turned around, you were gone." Harry whispered, the image in his head still raw over his perceived failure.

"I let them take me." Ginny replied. Harry should have been surprised but found that he wasn't.

"Why?"

"I wanted them to think that I was weak. I wanted them to think that they had managed to break me. It worked. I got the names of two different spies within the British Ministry."

"Who?"

"Christopher Wise is the first. He's an Unspeakable."

"Also the Head of the Department now." Harry added. "Who's the other?"

"Tiberius Ogden." Ginny replied as Harry attempted to hide the shock on his face. While Hermione was clearly never one of the people that Harry had considered a Master, Tiberius had been a very close second. The man was one of the most respected wizards of all time, a legend of Muggleborn rights.

"You're sure about this?"

"Positive." Ginny replied. "I'm not certain if both are members of the Masters of Death, however."

"What do you mean?"

"Just because they're working for The Masters of Death doesn't make them believers. It just might mean that they have something on Wise and Ogden that would make it easy to convince them to do their dirty work for them."

"Or they could be under the Imperius Curse."

"That is also an option." Ginny admitted. "But either way, the head of all of the Ministry's secret projects and the head of its lawmaking institution have been reporting to the Masters."

"Yeah." Harry replied softly. "Oh, did you see that you had been pardoned?"

"Do you think I would have stayed away if I had?"

"Fair point."

"Why did Lyman pardon me?"

"Not Lyman, Diggory, before he died." Harry said, correcting her gently.

"Really? So why did he pardon me?"

"To be honest, I'm not exactly sure." Harry admitted. "I think a part of him felt that he owed me for trying to make our lives miserable these past few years. But I think he also believed that you had done a lot of work for the Ministry, enough to cover for the sentence that you owed."

"Well, I imagine that when they find out that I broke you out of prison, they'll put me back in Azkaban as quickly as they possibly can."

"Not if we can put the Masters of Death down." Harry reminded her. "Speaking of that, what is the next step?"

Ginny looked confused at the question. "Why are you asking me? You're the leader here."

"I just figured that you had some sort of plan outside of breaking me out of jail."

"Yeah, we take the Masters of Death down. Beyond that-" Ginny stopped herself from speaking, her eyes falling to floor as she realized that she had no real plan to speak of.

Knowing that time was of the essence, Harry's mind went into overdrive, thinking of every possible angle. In the end, the most important thing to defeating the Masters of Death was going to be numbers.

They certainly weren't going to defeat Grindelwald's resurgent army on their own.

But people meant communicating with Hermione or the rest of the Order and Harry was certain that they were all being watched. There was one way that he could communicate with Hermione but reaching it was going to be tricky.

Unfortunately, the more Harry thought about it, the more he came to the realization that he was going to have no choice but to do it.

"We need to go to the Grangers' home." Harry said suddenly.

"Why?"

"Because I left a magical two-way mirror there." Harry replied. "The Burrow has one too but I imagine that's probably under guard."

"Why is there a magical two-way mirror there?"

"Because the Grangers' daughter dates a paranoid schoolmaster who spends his free time thinking of contingency plans for things like this."


	17. Chapter 17

For nearly an entire day, Harry and Ginny had scouted out the home of Hermione's parents. From the moment that Harry had suggested the idea, he knew that it would be far less simple than expected.

The most important reason for that was that the home was certainly being watched. Everyone in the wizarding world knew that Harry and Hermione were dating which meant that Hermione's parents, who happened to be Muggles, would be an easy hiding spot. While Hermione had done her best to have her parents' home removed from any records in the Ministry, Harry couldn't be certain that she had be entirely successful.

This meant that simply walking in the front door had instantly been ruled out as an option.

Once that was decided, Harry had decided that Apparating or using the Floo from Grimmauld Place was also out of the question. While he _was_ entirely certain that no one could penetrate the Black ancestral home, he wasn't certain that no one could track whether or not there was someone _inside_ the house. It simply hadn't been something that Harry had thought of until he considered the possibility of hiding from the Ministry there for a second time.

This was also ruled out.

Once those two plans were eliminated, Harry realized they were going to have to work with one of two options. Either they were going to have to sneak into the house unnoticed or they were going to have to disguise themselves convincingly enough to make sure that Hermione's parents wouldn't fail to recognize Harry while not attracting the attention of any Aurors that may have been watching the house.

In the end, it was decided that sneaking into the house was going to be the easier option. So, Harry and Ginny mailed a letter to Hermione's parents, letting them know the basics of their situation and that they would be coming within the next day or so. He also included Hermione's codeword for when there were problems to make it clear that this wasn't some sort of trap.

Once that was done, Harry completed a rather extensive set of charms that almost entirely altered his appearance. This allowed Harry to move in the area surrounding the home freely to surveil any potential observation posts set up by the Ministry. Having been trained as an Auror and then done a rather extensive bit of additional education on the subject, Harry was easily to recognize the signs of the Aurors watching the home.

Once Harry was done, Harry returned to Ginny, who was staying at a small Muggle motel just outside of London.

"Well, there's good news and bad news." Harry said as he walked in the door and quickly removed all of his cosmetic charms.

"Please start with the bad news."

"The bad news is that the house is definitely under surveillance. I counted at least three observational sites which means that there are likely at least two support positions a few blocks away from the home."

"It could be worse." Ginny commented.

"I'm not done." Harry said gravely. "I also walked directly past the front of the house once. The moment I did, I sensed a tracking charm coming from the home."

"They're checking to see if magic is performed inside the home? Hermione is going to be livid when she finds out that they're placing tracking wards on her parents' home."

"Let's think about that later. Alright?" Harry replied. "The good news is that they're watching the house like traditionally terrible Aurors."

"How is that good news?"

"One site tracks the front entrance and one on the back. A third can see the length of the street they live on. But there's a blind spot. If we can get through from the house to the north, there's a fence that travels the length of the yard until about five feet from the back door."

"Five feet is a long way to go without being seen." Ginny commented.

"I know but it's the best we have. It's not perfect but it should give us the ability to get in. Once we're in, we talk to Hermione, we modify her parents' memories and then we Apparate out."

Ginny looked stunned. Clearly, she had not been expecting Harry to suggest they wipe their memories.

"Are you sure?"

"I'll get their permission first." Harry replied. "But I'm already putting them in harm's way by entering their house. I don't want them to be put in a position where they have to choose between their safety and their loyalty to Hermione."

"Well, that's just one more thing that Hermione is going to be pissed about."

"Then hopefully she'll forgive me. But it won't matter if we don't stop the Masters from whatever they're doing and for that, we need contact with Hermione."

"Agreed."

* * *

That night, Harry and Ginny took the Tube to a location about four blocks from Hermione's childhood home. Harry's advantage in their attempt to avoid the Ministry were two-fold. First, he had been required to learn the Auror handbook front to back in order to get into the Academy. This meant that he knew all of their plans and backup plans. Second, he was accompanied by Ginny who had been successful in hiding from just about everyone for nearly three years.

Three blocks from the house, Harry and Ginny Disillusioned themselves in an alley and changed into all-black attire. They had both agreed that using magic to sneak into the house was too large a risk, considering they knew that the home was being tracked. Therefore, they were going in like a pair of Muggle burglars. The fact that it was a new moon only helped hide them from the watching eyes of the Aurors.

Once they had finished changing, they exited the alley and made their way to the end of the street where Hermione's parents lived. Rather than marching down the street, however, they instantly moved to the backyard of the first house on the street. When Harry had scouted out the surrounding area earlier in the day, he had noted that Hermione's parents lived six houses down from the end of the street. Thankfully, a high fence line blocked their line of sight to the site watching the back of the homes and the homes themselves blocked the site watching the front. This meant that the only site that would be able to see them would be the site at the end of the street who would only be able to view them in the few seconds as they scaled the fence and moved the short distance to the backdoor.

It was a risk. Harry and Ginny both knew it and Ginny had said as much.

But unfortunately, using magic was simply not an option.

Getting through the backyards was simple. With it being nearly eleven in the evening, most of the people living on the street were beginning to turn in. Only two of the six houses even had lights on. As Harry and Ginny approached the fence, Harry put his back against the wall and hoisted Ginny over it before quickly pulling himself up and over the fence.

Not sensing any change in the area around him, Harry quickly leapt to the back door and wrenched it open, letting Ginny inside before shutting and locking the door behind him.

True to their word, Hermione's parents, Charlotte and Jacob, were waiting at the dinner table just a few feet away. While they seemed shocked to see Harry the way he was dressed, they smiled at him nonetheless.

Harry had gotten very close to the elder Grangers over the last few years. Harry had encouraged Hermione to regularly visit her parents, something that she hadn't been doing with any sort of frequency prior to taken the position as Head of the Magical Law Enforcement Department. Harry knew that the conversations with her parents, which couldn't be too much about Hermione's job for their own safety, would help destress Hermione.

Both Charlotte and Jacob had recognized Harry's hand in the renewed frequency of Hermione's visits and had taken to Harry even more than they already had. Now, Harry occasionally visited Jacob and took in a football or cricket match as a way of bonding with the man who had raised the love of his life.

"Harry, we got your letter." Charlotte said as she rushed to Harry. "What's the trouble?"

"It's very difficult to explain." Harry replied. "The short story is that the Ministry has been infiltrated. In response to the crisis, the Minister of Magic wanted to deputize the Order and Dumbledore's Army. I refused and was arrested for refusing a direct order from the Minister of Magic. Ginny broke me out of jail and we're working to try and stop both the Minister and the group infiltrating the Ministry."

"Ginny? As in Ginny Weasley?" Jacob asked sternly. "I thought she was a criminal."

"I am." Ginny replied, stepping forward boldly. "But, I reached a deal with the Ministry a few years ago. It allowed me to work off my sentence in return for working for the Ministry on some….sensitive subjects."

"I don't think I want to know what that means." Jacob answered.

"I promise you: you don't." Harry replied. "Anyway, did you grab what I asked for?"

"Yes." Charlotte replied as she handed Harry a small handheld mirror. Taking the mirror into the front room, Harry spoke his own name into the mirror followed by Hermione's. Only a few moments later, Hermione's face appeared in the mirror.

"Harry!" Hermione shouted, tears forming in her eyes almost instantly. "How did you use this? I thought you left this mirror at home."

"I made backups. This one is at your parents'."

"Really? That's an exceedingly well thought out plan, Harry." Hermione smirked proudly.

"Thanks. I don't mean to rush you but I don't want to stay here any longer than needed."

"Why?"

"The Ministry is watching your parents." Harry said as he watched her face fall. However, before she could let out the tirade that Harry was certain would follow, he pressed forward. "I know you're upset but I need you to tell me what's been going on."

Stifling her rage, Hermione nodded firmly and pressed onward.

"The Minister has tried to take over Hogwarts. Fortunately, even with the amount of influence that both she and Hope have, she stood no chance of taking the castle. I've been working with the professors who remained behind to rebuild what was destroyed in Hogsmeade." Hermione replied before a sudden look of confusion appeared on her face. "Harry, how did you get out of your cell?"

"I had help from a mutual friend." Harry replied. He was relatively certain that the Aurors couldn't hear inside the home but he certainly didn't want to take a chance by admitting that Ginny was with him.

"How is she?" Hermione asked.

"Not great. Very skittish, paranoid. It's like she's constantly expecting to be attacked."

"I imagine that happens when you spend nearly three years on the run."

"I suppose." Harry admitted. "Has my escape gotten out yet?"

"No, the only reason I found out about it was because Lyman tried to arrest me as an accomplice."

"Why didn't she?"

"Because Hope said that if she did it, he would be forced to file a motion of no confidence in the Wizengamot."

"Thank Merlin for Charles Hope."

"Yes." Hermione grimaced. "Unfortunately, Lyman has spoken to every media outlet that will listen about how you are just as much a danger to them as the Masters of Death. You and The Phantom have been placed at the top of the Aurors Most Wanted list."

"Not a surprise." Harry answered dryly. "Now, what are you doing?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean with the people who used to have coins." Harry asked softly. While Harry knew that Charlotte and Jacob were aware of just how involved Harry and Hermione were in the defense of their world, he didn't think there was any reason to scare them by letting them know just _how_ involved they were.

"At the moment, nothing." Hermione answered. "Should I be doing something?"

"I'm hiding out in the woods." Harry replied, hoping that she would pick up on his meaning. Instantly, Hermione's face lit up. "Now, I need a few things from you."

"What?"

"First, I need a face to face with Aberforth. Tell him I need his ear on the ground at the Ministry. Someone has got to know something."

"Something about what?"

"Anything really. Lyman is either directly involved with the Masters of Death and is ready to take over the Ministry-"

"Or she's not and is simply incompetent like Fudge." Hermione added, finishing Harry's thought. "I'm not sure which is worse."

"Either way, I need to know what she's been doing for the last forty-eight hours." Harry replied. "Next, I need you to get in contact with Daphne."

"She's the one you expected to break you out?"

"Yes." Harry admitted. "She was never explicitly ordered to do so but I have a feeling that she would have done it either way."

"Great." Hermione replied, the disappointment that Harry had been keeping his contact with Daphne a secret from her readily apparent on her face. "What am I contacting her about?"

"I need her to come to the woods." Harry said as he noticed motion outside the house. Going to the window, Harry saw three people standing at various points on the street.

All of them appeared to be looking towards the Granger home.

"Last thing Hermione, I need eyes on Nurmengard." Harry said as he motioned for Ginny to return to the back door.

"Nurmengard? Why?"

"Our friend says that's where The Masters of Death are truly operating from. Apparently, they took over sometime in the past few years by only hiring from within the Masters of Death."

"Merlin…" Hermione whispered to herself. "Do you think she's right?"

"I think we haven't really looked into it too much." Harry responded. "Do you have contacts in the area?"

"We have our friend Norberta." Hermione replied, referring to Charlie Weasley in the strangest code Harry could have imagined. "It's not Nurmengard but it's certainly closer than where we're at."

"That's great. Get him to the fortress and then give me what information he's collected in two days."

"Where?"

"In the woods." Harry said simply. Looking out the window, Harry noticed that all three figures on the street had moved closer to the house. In the light from the street light above them, Harry could even make out what looked to be a wand in hand of one of them.

"Listen, Hermione, I'm pretty sure that we've been made here. I'm getting out but I'm going to wipe your parents' memories before we go."

"Why?" Hermione replied, understandably nervous.

"Because if they're forced to choose between their own safety and betraying you, they'll let themselves be killed rather than betray you."

Harry could see that Hermione was truly struggling with this. He knew that the guilt of altering her parents' memories still lived with her, one of the few actions of the war that really haunted her. But Harry was able to see her finally come to grips with what was truly necessary in this situation.

"Just make sure that you're safe." Hermione replied. "I love you."

"I love you, Hermione. I'm taking the mirror with me. If you write onto the mirror, anything you write will appear on mine."

"I'll use that to give you the location of Aberforth's meet."

"Thanks." Harry said before waving his wand, vanishing Hermione's face despite that being the last thing he wanted to do. Once that was done, Harry moved to the kitchen where Hermione's parents sat.

"I need to take your memories of tonight."

"Why?" Jacob asked nervously.

"Because the people that are looking for me may come here. If they do, I don't want you to be put in a situation where you have to choose between your daughter and your safety."

"Is that really necessary?" Charlotte questioned further.

"If it wasn't, I wouldn't have asked."

The pair of elder Grangers looked at each other for a moment before turning back to Harry. Jacob nodded subtly as Harry drew his wand and moved behind the pair of them.

Lining up, Harry aimed at Jacob first and then Charlotte.

" _Obliviate."_

Each time, Harry watched as Jacob and then Charlotte slumped in their chair, feeling the obvious aftereffects of the charm.

However, the moment they slumped into their chairs, the front door blasted open. Only a second later, the three men who had been standing on the street came bursting into the house, firing Stunning spells wildly. With a flick, Harry Banished both Charlotte and Jacob to the far side of the room, ensuring that they wouldn't be able to be hit by any of the spells.

Once that was done, Harry stepped forward, intent on making sure that these Aurors intensely regretted attacking his surrogate family. A quick Stunner threw one of the Aurors against the wall while Ginny threw a Cutting Curse that hit the second Auror in the arm, causing blood to spray against the wall.

Unfortunately for both of them, that left the third Auror who had clearly gotten a drop on both of them. As Ginny's curse hit the second Auror, the third fired a Stunner that hit Ginny squarely in the chest, throwing her back into the wall separating the kitchen and the living room.

Harry was about to return fire when another Stunner came from over his shoulder and struck the Auror, throwing him out the front door. Turning, Harry spun to find his wand aimed at the chest of Percy Weasley.

But Percy had no idea that Harry's wand was pointed at him. Instead, his eyes were trained on Ginny's unconscious form. Kneeling, he lifted Ginny's head into his lap and let it rest on his lap as he removed his wand from his robes.

"Don't." Harry ordered.

"Harry, it's her." Percy pleaded, almost sobbing with the joy of seeing his youngest sister. "I have to wake her up. I have to see her."

"You can't. She can't know that you were here."

"Why not?"

"Because I need her focused on our mission. If she knows that you were here and risked yourself for us, she'll be worried about you. She'll be distracted."

"Harry, it's too late for that. I made my move."

"It's not too late." Harry answered. He refused to allow Percy to burn his final bridge in such a brilliantly stupid way.

"How? They told me that they found you at the Granger home and I came running. Once I was here, I Stunned one of my own Aurors instead of bringing you in."

"I'm going to alter his memory." Harry said before turning back to Percy, a look of regret on his face. "And I'm going to have to mess you up."

"Why?"

"Because you came here to bring me in for my own safety. You may believe me but you believe in the order of the law more. So you came here to bring me down and get me home safely. Instead, Harry Potter, and only Harry Potter, Stunned your entire team and then you."

"Why would you let me ruin your reputation like that?"

"Because I need people at the Ministry, Percy." Harry explained. "And because if we lose, it doesn't matter. But if we win, I'll be able to put the record straight."

Finally, Percy seemed to understand the game that Harry was playing. At the moment, Harry couldn't have cared less if people thought he was a criminal. As long as those that he trusted believed in him, he would sacrifice his public image to bring down the Masters of Death.

"Fine." Percy answered.

Almost instantly, Harry Stunned Percy, his body flying against the wall hard. Then, to ensure the illusion, Harry Banished Percy's body through the window on the far side of the room. Once Harry heard Percy land, Harry raced outside to ensure that he had done no life-threatening damage.

Once he was sure that Percy would be fine, he went back to the house as he felt the mirror in his pocket vibrate. Pulling it out, Harry read Hermione's message: _Tomorrow, six in the morning, Padfoot's cave._ Smiling, Harry wiped the message off the mirror, ink covering his hands as he did. Putting the mirror away, Harry grabbed Ginny and turned in place, Apparating back the Forest with the knowledge that he now had the ability to communicate with his friends.

All was not lost after all.

* * *

When she awoke the next morning, Ginny certainly wasn't happy that she had been Stunned by a lowly Auror. However, after she got over that, she had the next thing to be upset about.

"You're not going." Harry said frankly.

"You think you're going to stop me?" Ginny challenged as she sat up. "I'm going with you to meet with Aberforth and that's the end of it."

"It's not the end of it." Harry snapped back. "Don't be stupid, Gin. If I get caught, it will be bad enough. But if they catch both of us, that will be the end of it. Publicly, you're a terrorist. If you are seen with me, it will let Lyman paint me as one as well and she would have evidence to back up her claims. That means that the Order, The DA, whatever the hell you want to call it: it would be branded a militant terrorism outfit. She could take down the entire group legally."

While Ginny was clearly still upset, Harry could see that she was at the very least considering Harry's point, a vast improvement over a few seconds ago when Harry had been certain that she was going to curse him.

Eventually, Ginny sank back into her cot, huffing loudly as she did

"Fine." Ginny said with a pout. "Where are you meeting him?"

"A cave north of Hogsmeade. Sirius hid there during my fourth year."

"Seems a bit close to the action to me."

"It's where Aberforth can meet without it looking suspicious." Harry answered honestly. "I'll be back as quickly as I can."

"You better."

Leaving Ginny to rest on her cot, Harry quickly stood and exited the tent. Taking a deep breath in preparation, Harry turned and Apparated to just outside the cave where Padfoot had spent part of Harry's fourth year. As he landed, Harry was suddenly plunged into the memories of the one time he had been there with Sirius.

However, before his trip down memory lane could get too far, he saw Aberforth stick his head out of the cave. Knowing that he would be able to reminisce later, Harry marched into the cave where Aberforth sat waiting.

"Boy, one of these days you are going to learn to keep your nose out of trouble."

"Does that seem likely, Dumbledore?" Harry replied, taunting him with the use of his last name. Aberforth looked at him coldly before rolling his eyes quickly and motioning for Harry to sit.

"So, what do you need to know?"

"Everything. What has Lyman been doing for the last two days? Where is Downey? Who do we have in the room when these decisions are being made?"

"That last question is easy to answer: no one." Aberforth replied darkly. "Percy and Ron have both been removed from the most secure meetings, which are certainly about you and Miss Weasley's current whereabouts."

"Great."

"As for what Lyman's been doing, she seems to be focusing her attention on Hogwarts. The school may technically be private but the Ministry of Magic can legally declare domain as it is the only magical school in the country. That doesn't mean that the castle itself will recognize their authority but it would be a huge blow to you if they're able to take the castle."

"Do you think she's trying to take it for The Masters of Death?"

Aberforth didn't answer the question immediately. Instead, he stood and began pacing the cave, obviously thinking of how he wanted to work his response. When he did finally speak, it was in a tone far less assured than he was used to hearing from the younger Dumbledore.

"I can't be certain...not entirely." Dumbledore admitted. "But the Masters of Death, they've been ahead of us since day one. Someone is certainly feeding them information."

"Ginny says the Masters have taken over Nurmengard."

Aberforth looked shocked at that news. "Potter, if that's true...if Grindelwald can released-"

"Aberforth, she says this isn't recent. According to her, they've been hiring their own people to run the fortress for decades but in 1999, they were able to completely take over the fortress and have secretly been using it as their primary headquarters since then."

"Then why not let Grindelwald out?"

"I'm not sure. Maybe he's too old...or even dead? Maybe they think the mystique of his legend is more valuable than an ancient wizard who has been locked in a cell since the mid-nineteen forties."

"I suppose it's possible." Aberforth replied, although he looked incredibly unsure of himself. "In any case, I'm not sure Lyman is a Master. But I do think that she's working for them, whether she means to or not."

"You think she's been influenced by someone who is a Master?"

"It seems the more likely option. If I were a mole, I wouldn't want the target on my back of being the Minister. But being close to the Minister would help."

"Who fits the bill? Other than Ron and Percy?"

"Charles Hope is definitely close enough to her to influence her. But he just got done defying her publicly."

"You're talking about her attempt to take down the school?"

"It doesn't make much sense to me if it is him. Even if he wanted someone to be against taking the school, there had to be someone else he could have gotten to take the fall. Someone with far less influence on public opinion than himself certainly."

"So likely not Hope." Harry said, almost thinking aloud. "Who else?"

"The three mostly likely candidates would have been Downey, Ogden or Christopher Wise. My personal opinion is that Downey has been set up but it wouldn't be the first time we've seen a leader take the fall for something to set themselves up better in the future."

"I saw your brother do it once or twice." Harry chuckled to himself. "Ogden has been at the Ministry almost as long as Hope. You think it could be him?"

"He voted to authorize the Minister to order you to reveal the names of Dumbledore's Army and The Order."

"Who led the vote?"

"Some new pureblood enthusiast named Julius Simon. He's been a relative failure in the Wizengamot. I expect him to lose his seat when it comes up for election next year."

"It still doesn't seem likely."

"Nothing about this whole situation seems likely, Potter."

Harry had to admit that was true. The Masters of Death had put him on edge from day one. They had been planning for this for decades and that meant that every plan that Harry had thought of had been countered years before Harry had even had the thought in his mind.

"What about Wise?"

"Wise is the most interesting of these three. He's new in comparison, roughly the same age as Lyman herself. It doesn't appear they were particularly close in school. He was in Ravenclaw, she was a Gryffindor. However, they both followed a roughly similar career path. When they graduated from Hogwarts in 1990, both spent almost ten years working on continuing education in Europe."

"Doing what?"

"Wise studied the history of legends regarding The Deathly Hallows." Aberforth replied knowingly.

"That's certainly not a good sign." Harry admitted. "What about Lyman?"

"She spent her time researching the International Statute of Secrecy. Specifically, she spent time at a school in Budapest where the witches from Salem where banished. They would have originally been executed but they were spared as long as they promised to disappear before the Statute took effect."

"Interesting but not particularly damning." Harry replied. "Back to Wise, he's on this list...why?"

"Because he's been at the Ministry almost the exact same amount of time as Lyman. In that time, he's risen almost as quickly as her: going from an aide in the Auror Office to the Head of the Department of Mysteries. Since he took over the Department of Mysteries, he's been seen frequently meeting with Lyman alone."

"Alone? Just the two of them?"

"Yes. No one else in the Ministry has earned that right."

It all seemed to fit too perfect. The only question that remained was why no one else had put it together. It could have been that no one was looking. Everyone was simply too concerned about the threat the Masters of Death posed to take a serious look at the Minister's advisors.

Thankfully, Harry didn't need to look at the Masters of Death any longer to know that they were a threat. That meant that the new Minister was getting his full attention.

"What do you suggest?"

"Talk to Ogden first. Even if he is working for the Masters, he seems the one who is most likely to break."

"Why?"

"Because I knew Tiberius. We went to school together. Even though I think it's possible that he has something to do with this, it doesn't seem like him. The only way I think he does something like this is if he was threatened."

"His family?"

"It seems the most likely situation."

Harry was about to ask something about Christopher Wise when he felt a distinct buzzing sensation in his fingers. It was clearly an Anti-Apparition ward. Looking up at Aberforth, it was apparent that he had felt it as well.

"Someone's here." Harry whispered, drawing his wand.

"Agreed." Aberforth said as he too drew his wand. "Let me go out first. Do you have your Cloak with you?"

"Always."

"Hide under there." Aberforth ordered him. "I'll draw them away from the cave. Once we're clear, get away from here and back to Ms. Weasley."

"What happens if you come out of the cave alone?" Harry asked in concern.

Instead of answering immediately, Aberforth drew himself up to stand at his full height, standing nearly a foot taller than Harry.

"Then they'll think it's Aberforth and his weird goat experiments again." Aberforth smirked. "No worries, boy. I have no problem being the stranger of the two Dumbledore brothers."

With a pat on the back, Aberforth turned to exit the cave with Harry following him in his cloak. Once they were clear of the cave, Harry saw that they were surrounded by nearly ten Aurors, all of them with their wands aimed at Aberforth.

However, the man at the front of the pack was not who Harry was expecting. Instead of a new lead Auror or even the Minister herself, Harry was shocked to see none other than Christopher Wise standing before them.

Christopher Wise looked like he was pulled directly out of some kind of fairy tale. He was tall, thin with the kind of looks that may make married women consider adultery. But the most attractive thing about him was the roguish charm that he exuded when he spoke, even when he was threatening someone.

"Mr. Dumbledore, nice to see you." Wise said simply. "Would you mind me asking what exactly you're doing out here?"

"Working on a new brew for the bar." Aberforth lied quickly. Harry wondered how many excuses Aberforth had working in that mind of his.

"Really? I would like a taste of that!" Wise replied in excitement.

"Unfortunately, it's not quite ready yet, boys. But when it is, I promise that you'll be the first to know."

"Sadly, I doubt that."

"Why is that?"

"Because we have heard rumors that Harry Potter was sighted out here. After that, we find you in a cave, alone. Now, if you know anything about Harry Potter, _and I know that you do_ , then you'll know that Potter has an Invisibility Cloak."

"I'm aware."

"Then you're also aware that associating with Harry Potter is a crime at the moment."

"And who are you to enforce it? I was unaware that the Department of Mysteries took interest in such small subjects."

At this, Wise perked up, standing taller and prouder, his chest puffed out in front of him.

"Normally, we wouldn't. But, I've been given a new position somewhat recently."

"And what would that be?"

"Leader of the task force to bring in Harry Potter."

Well, if Harry ever needed more proof that Christopher Wise was working for the Masters of Death, that time was now past.

"I see." Aberforth replied nervously. "Congratulations."

"Thank you." Wise answered smoothly. "Much like Mr. Potter himself, the Minister of Magic has empowered me to use any methods necessary to bring Mr. Potter in to answer for his crimes."

"Any methods necessary? Sounds a bit excessive, don't you think?" Aberforth said as he suddenly slid to his right, covering Harry from Wise.

It took Harry a beat to realize what he was doing.

Once he had realized it, it was far too late to do anything.

"No, I don't think so." Wise said softly. "Men, follow your orders."

Suddenly, Harry saw a flash of red as Aberforth was thrown over Harry's crouching form, landing with a heavy thud behind him. Turning, Harry saw a small trickle of blood running down Aberforth's head. Thankfully, Aberforth was still breathing. He couldn't take the death of another Dumbledore on his conscious.

"Spread out and find him." Wise ordered swiftly.

Rather than wait to be found out, Harry decided the only way out was through. Without removing his cloak, Harry stood and raised his wand at Wise, firing a Stunner than hit him and threw him backwards. Instantly, the six men that surrounded him targeted the blank space where the spell had come from.

Thankfully, these Masters of Death were not nearly as good as Harry. Five of them missed entirely and Harry was able to easily knock away the last. As he did, he removed his cloak so that he could move freely. He knew that it would mean that he was visible but the ability to move was worth the risk.

Once he was free, Harry stepped forward, aiming at spot on the ground just in front of where the men stood.

" _Diffindo! Wingardium Leviosa!"_

At first, the ground cracked and then floated in front of the men. For a moment, they seemed confused at why someone with the legendary skills of Harry Potter would waste his time floating some rocks.

That's when Harry fired the third spell in his plan.

" _CONFRINGO!"_

The large rocks that had been lifted into the air exploded in an instant, knocking the six men to the ground. As they fell, one of them scrambled to his feet, bloodied and battered. Harry managed to Stun him but not before he waved his wand in the direction of the prone Christopher Wise.

Harry noticed him start to stir awake but before he could Stun him once more, the other five started to move towards him, taking his attention with them. With a quick succession of shields and Stunners, Harry was able to easily take down the five Masters.

But when Harry turned his wand back to where Wise had been lying, he was gone.

So was Aberforth. Now, with the pair of them gone, Harry stood around a circle of six unidentified men, cursing under his breath. Quickly, Harry tied up the Masters of Death before arranging a Portkey for each that would take them to the woods about one hundred yards outside of the enchantments that Harry had sent up for his camp with Ginny.

Once they all arrived at the location that he had chosen, Harry took all six men and tied them to trees. As he finished the last knot, Harry took each of their wands and placed them on a stump in the middle of the circle they had made. Finally, he removed their robes and placed them in a pile next to their wands.

With that completed, Harry used his own wand to wake each of them. As expected, they each tried to break free of their bindings. Thankfully, Harry was using one of his favorite Weasley products: The Knotted Rope, a rope that, once knotted, was unable to be undone by anyone other than person who had tied it.

Then, almost all at once, they began screaming at Harry, each of them in a different language. One of them was speaking English but with an accent that Harry didn't immediately recognize.

With a wave of his wand, they all simultaneously went silent.

"Wise abandoned you." Harry said simply. "He could have taken you with him. Instead, he took my friend and left you to me. That will prove to be his mistake."

Harry had never felt the kind of rage that was burning deep inside him right now. Finally, after months of searching, he knew the identity of his enemy. But just as he had discovered that information, he had lost one of his closest allies to him, taken out from beneath his nose. Now, he had a way of getting more information on Wise.

Unfortunately, everyone else would try and stop him. He knew this. That's why he hadn't brought them back to his camp. He wasn't sure that even Ginny wouldn't have attempted to stop him. But this needed to be done. He needed everything they knew about Wise.

Even if it meant that he would be required to get bloody to get the information.

"We will not speak." one of the Masters growled.

Reaching forward, Harry picked up the wand that belonged to the man who spoke, the one sitting to his far right. For a moment, he carefully inspected the wand, pretending to be interested.

Then, in a flash, he snapped it in two. The man's reaction was instant and visceral, straining against the rope that held him as he fought desperately to get to Harry.

"If you don't speak, that's fine." Harry replied coldly. "But until you speak, you will not be able to move. You will not eat, you will not drink. If all six of you agree that you want to die out here in the woods, that's fine with me."

Harry stood and started marching back towards the camp before stopping to turn and give them one last message.

"But if you think that Wise is going to find you here, you are sorely mistaken. If you really think that he would rather you die, then maybe he isn't the great leader you think he is. I just hope one of you gets smart before you starve."

Seeing that none of them were ready to start speaking, Harry simply turned and walked. As he did, he silently hoped that one of them would say something soon. Not only was he running out of time but he didn't really have a desire to kill them.

But if he had to do it to bring back Aberforth and end the Masters of Death, then that's what he would do.


	18. Chapter 18

Harry woke up the next morning feeling restless. Over the night, none of the men that he had captured the previous day had been willing to speak, something that surprised him considering the weather. The first days of December had come since Harry's escape from the Ministry. As far north as they were, the forest was already covered with a thin layer of snow and frost. Harry knew that the men would have survived one night at these temperatures. Without food, however, they were unlikely to make it through another.

Thankfully for Harry, it took only a day for one of the men to talk. After leaving his captives in the woods over night, Harry returned in the morning to find them all asleep, their skin blue with the cold of the night. Quickly, Harry checked to make sure that none of them had died. But to his great relief, all six men awoke when Harry flashed his wand, creating a large crack in the air that startled them.

Throughout the day, Harry would return to them and wake them, keeping them from getting the rest they so desperately desired. Harry could also see that they were starting to strain from being seated with the arms behind them for as long as they had been. But as the day turned to night, none of them budged.

Finally, on Harry's last check before he intended to turn in for the night, the man who spoke English finally broke.

"I will tell you." he whispered through a thick accent.

"You'll tell me what?" Harry replied as he knelt next to the man.

"Whatever you ask. But please do not kill us."

"If your information is good, then you will be free to go."

"What if you are not satisfied with what I know?"

"We'll cross that bridge when we get there." Harry growled.

The man was older than Harry but not by much. Still, his life had clearly been much harder than Harry's, at least physically. He had scars up and down his body, the clear result of having fought for most of his life. His hair was thin and greying, although a bit of black still fought for control around his ears. One of his eyes was clearly useless, its pupil clouded over and blind.

Where he was from, Harry still couldn't place. But Harry knew that this was a man of conviction. He had spent years fighting for the Masters of Death. While Harry resented the man's beliefs, he had to commend his loyalty. It was something that Harry would have honored...had he not been fighting for an organization that wished to colonize the entire Muggle world and subject it to their oppressive rule.

"What would you like to know?"

"What is your name?" Harry asked first. It was clear that the man was surprised that Harry cared.

"Yefim." he whispered softly as the others slept around them.

"Yefim, where are you from?"

"Sarajevo. Bosnia." he said through his thick accent. Never in a thousand years would Harry have picked that as Yefim's home, simply because it wasn't a country that had much in the way of wizards. The magical population there was almost gone, pushed away by years of civil war among the Muggles that lived there.

"Why did you join the Masters of Death?"

"When I was young, my parents moved from the country to work for the Ministry of Magic. We live in city for many years as city grew. We were happy. Then, one day, just a few weeks after I graduate from school, bombs fall. Muggle bombs. For nearly four years, the Muggles fight. They destroy my home. In the first year, I lost sister and brother. In the third, I lost Father. Then, as the bombing come to a close, they hit house. My mother used her body to protect me."

"Merlin." Harry whispered softly.

"She died instantly. I lae in rubble of house for two days before I was found by neighbor. I was taken to Muggle hospital where I laid for nearly a month. No Ministry visit. No Muggle apologize for killing family. When I got out of hospital, I had nothing. For five years, I wandered the country, barely alive. One day, I meet tall man who told me that he belonged to group. Group wanted to take the world back from Muggles."

"Christopher Wise?"

Yefim nodded. "He told me, if I was patient, I would see day when we took back the world, putting the Muggles in their rightful place. You see, Mr. Potter, we may be capable of many things but magic is not capable of mass murder."

"Isn't it?"

"Have you ever seen a bomb explode?" Yefim asked. Harry shook his head. "Magic is capable of many great and terrible things. But the things the Muggles create, they could destroy the world. All of the things that we love in the world, gone with a single cloud of ash and smoke."

"So taking the Muggles and putting them under our power is the answer?" Harry asked. "They outnumber us 15 or 20 to one! How is it acceptable that we take them and put them under our boot?"

"Because we are the future. They are the past."

Yefim seemed like a bright man. He had lived a horrible past full of tragedy. Harry could understand his mistrust of the Muggles. But to think that the only way through that is to take over the world and put the Muggles in their place? That was lunacy to Harry.

"Where did Wise take Aberforth?"

"I cannot tell you." Yefim revealed. "I have taken the Vow."

The Unbreakable Vow. Of course they would make everyone take that. It meant that Harry would have to limit the scope of his questions to only the specific things that Yefim could tell him.

"Who is in charge of the Masters of Death?"

"We follow our grand leader, Gellert Grindelwald." Yefim replied.

"Is he still in Nurmengard?"

"He is." Yefim admitted.

"Why?"

"Grindelwald is very old. Even with the amount of power left in him, he thought it better to remain in his cell."

"Why?" Harry pressed further.

"Because as long as the world believes that Grindelwald was safely imprisoned, they will ignore the Masters of Death until it was too late."

That certainly had worked in the favor, Harry admitted internally. Without a central figurehead like Grindelwald, The Masters of Death had been able to work from the shadows, hiding the extent of their activity and the breadth of their operation until it was too late to stop it. Harry only hope that he would be able to reverse their actions before irreparable damage had been done.

"Where are you operating from in England?"

"I cannot tell you."

"Are the Masters of Death in charge of Nurmengard?"

"I cannot tell you."

"Is Wise in charge of the England branch of the Masters of Death?"

"I cannot tell you."

"What can you tell me!?" Harry shouted in frustration.

"That Gellert Grindelwald wishes to speak with you."

That was certainly not what Harry expected to hear. Kneeling forward, Harry drew his wand and aimed it at Yefim's head, his blood pumping hard in his hands.

"What?"

"We were told if we were captured by you, we tell you that Gellert Grindelwald wishes to speak with you."

"Why?"

"You are the greatest student of Grindelwald's oldest friend. Grindelwald curious just how similar to Dumbledore you are, just as Grindelwald's pupil has become so similar to Grindelwald himself."

"The Phantom?" Harry asked. "You're talking about Christopher Wise?"

"I have seen The Phantom and Christopher Wise at the same time, Mr. Potter. I find it unlikely that they are one and the same."

"Is Wise in charge or The Phantom?"

"It depends on your perspective, Mr. Potter."

"Perspective?"

"The Phantom is the fist, Wise the mind. The mind controls the fist but the fist acts." Yefim said, mocking Harry openly. "Without the other, each is useless. Which you say is in charge?"

Harry had had enough of Yefim's ramblings. However, he was satisfied with the information that he had gotten from the man. So, Harry drew his wand and Obliviated all six Masters of Death that laid before him. Once that was done, Harry put their robes back on them and Apparated them to the Atrium in the Ministry of Magic with signs marking them as members of the Masters of Death.

As Harry returned to camp after dropping off the last Master, he felt the mirror in his pocket vibrate. Pulling it from his pocket, Harry read the message that Hermione had left for him: coming to the woods, five minutes. A smile spread across Harry's face as he realized just how much he had missed Hermione.

The five minute wait felt like hours as Harry sat at the edge of their enchantments, waiting and waiting for Hermione to appear. As expected, Hermione attempted to Apparate to their old camping spot. Thankfully, Harry had set up camp about thirty yards away from that spot, meaning that Hermione landed exactly where she meant.

For a moment, Harry just watched her. Even though it had only been a few days since he had seen her in person, he suddenly felt a swell of pain in his chest as he realized what his actions had done. He had intentionally separated himself from her, creating a chasm that meant they couldn't speak to each other, let alone see each other for fear of the Ministry finding out. Even this action was a risk that Harry hardly felt comfortable with despite knowing full well that neither of them had a choice in the matter.

Hermione turned and looked at Harry. Stepping towards her, Harry refused to let his eyes drop from hers. Climbing the hill to where she stood, Harry gently placed both of his hands on either side of her face. Simply the feeling of his skin against hers was more than Harry could bear as tears pooled in his eyes. Of all the things that he had given up to fight the good fight, this was the one thing he had not been prepared to miss.

Harry collapsed into Hermione, allowing her to bring her arms around him and simply hold him up as he finally broke. The days in hiding hadn't been all that terrible but doing it without Hermione was something that he had never imagined.

Still, he knew that she would have to leave which only made him hold her tighter. Eventually, Harry was able to compose himself and bring his eyes back to her, kissing her gently as if too much pressure would cause her to break into a million pieces.

"I've missed you." Harry whispered, his voice hoarse.

"I can tell." Hermione said with a smirk. "How are you doing?"

"I was doing fine until you got here." Harry said. When he noticed the confusion on Hermione's, he explained himself. "I was focused on what needed to be done. But the second I saw you, the only thing I could think of was that I was doing this without you."

"You're never without me, Harry." Hermione assured him. "Even if I'm not standing next to you, I am always on your side."

"I know." Harry said as someone from behind him coughed. In the joy of seeing Hermione, Harry had forgotten that Ginny was even there. Sure enough, as he turned around, Ginny stood at the entrance to the tent, her arms crossed, glaring at the two of them.

In that moment, Harry suddenly realized that he may have made a grave mistake bringing Ginny to this place. Not only was he using the same tent that they had used during their search for the Horcruxes but he had come to the place where Harry and Hermione had first felt the hint of what they truly meant to each other. This place was almost holy ground for the pair of them.

Thankfully, Hermione seemed to be taking everything in stride. Once she saw Ginny, she broke away from Harry and hugged her tightly. At first, Ginny seemed cold to Hermione, her arms not moving from her side. But once she noticed the strange look that Harry was giving her, she did smile slightly and reciprocate Hermione's embrace.

"It's so good to see you!" Hermione said. "I'm so sorry about everything."

"What do you have to be sorry about?" Ginny asked as they separated. "Unless you ordered the Masters of Death to attack a small Muggle town, forcing me to break my cover."

"I put you in that situation."

"You did no such thing." Ginny assured her. 'I did when I removed Malfoy's head from his body. I'm just thankful that I got to spend a few years doing something worthwhile before I get thrown back into Azkaban."

"Hopefully that won't be necessary." Hermione answered as she entered the tent, taking a seat at the table. "If we can prove that Lyman was working with the Masters of Death or taking advice from a member, she'll be removed from her position."

"So what?" Ginny countered as she sat across from Harry and Hermione. "Then we'll just end up with another hack who will throw me into Azkaban."

But Harry knew what Hermione was angling at.

"Unless we all survive this because then Hermione will become the Minister of Magic." Harry replied to a confused look from Ginny. "According to our new election rules, if the Minister of Magic is removed, the person who finished second becomes the Minister of Magic."

A sudden look of joy crossed Ginny's face.

"Does that continue to work if we go from the second place finisher to the third?"

"It does." Hermione assured her. "However, it would only be on a temporary basis. There's no situation in which a person finishing third in the election becomes Minister of Magic without the Wizengamot forcing them to hold another election."

"But you would be able to pardon me."

"You've already been pardoned, Ginny." Harry reminded her.

"I know but for everything. For breaking you out, for fighting the Ministry….for killing Malfoy. You could make it all go away."

Hermione's face strained at the boldness of the question. Harry knew the question pulled on the strings of her morals. Of course she wouldn't want to see Ginny go back to jail after all the work that she had done to help the Ministry. But on the other hand, she couldn't simply pardon her of everything, lest it appear to the outside world to be nepotism.

"Diggory made things easier by pardoning you off your previous crimes." Hermione reasoned. "Unfortunately, that still leaves breaking Harry out of prison and attacking Aurors at the Ministry to do so."

"But if Harry is acquitted of his crimes-"

"There's a very real possibility that I'm not, Gin." Harry interrupted. "I broke out of jail. Lyman's arrest order was legal. Ogden's work in the Wizengamot saw to that. If we get through this and managed to take back the Ministry, I'm sure that part of our crimes will be forgiven but there's a real possibility that we end up going back to Azkaban."

"You can't believe that!" she shouted as she turned to Hermione. "We save the day and then get sent to Azkaban! Where's the justice in that!?"

The sudden outburst was strange coming from this new version of Ginny. In the past, she had been fiery, occasionally volatile. But this new iteration of her was nothing like this. But Harry also recognized that this looked less like pure anger and more like Ginny's instability rushing to the surface.

"I do believe that." Harry admitted. "While I do think that the near life sentence you were serving was too much and I think we could work on getting that reduced, you would still have to serve some time before you could get out. Plus, I think it would be good for you."

"Good for me?" Ginny scoffed harshly. "How?"

"Look at you, Gin. You are stretched too thin. You've been challenged in a way that people aren't supposed to be over the past few years. I think that going back to Azkaban and having some stability in your life before you tried to return to the regular world could be helpful."

For a moment, it looked as if Ginny was going to agree. Then, without warning, Ginny's wand appeared, flashing out towards Harry. Thankfully, Harry was able to draw his own wand and deflect the Stunner that Ginny had fired.

"What the hell, Ginny!?" Harry exclaimed as he moved in front of Hermione, blocking her with both his wand and his body.

"I am not going back there." Ginny growled, her eyes suddenly dark, her voice rough.

"You have to go somewhere." Harry pleaded. "You need help."

"You're probably right." Ginny admitted. "But where were you when I needed help? I was in prison for months, Harry. When were you going to come and visit me?"

Harry was at a loss. He had intended to visit her. In fact, for nearly a month after her imprisonment, Harry had put a visit to Azkaban on his Saturday schedule. But each time he did, something popped up that prevented him from doing it. Eventually, it was simply removed from his schedule.

"I am sorry. I should have come to see you."

"But you were too busy, weren't you? Too busy living your ideal life now that I was out of the way!" Ginny spat, her wand shaking her hand.

"That's not true!"

"Isn't it? I heard all about how things went. Harry Potter disappeared for a few weeks. When he comes back, he and Hermione Granger are now an item and he's ready to begin his tenure at Hogwarts. With Ginny Weasley out of the way, they can begin their perfect life!"

"That's not how it worked-" Hermione started before Ginny cut her off.

"Then after a year, I get a message from Hermione. 'Sure, you can get out of jail but only if you go chase down the worst enemies in the world with no cover.'" Ginny said, mocking Hermione's voice. "You used me. Both of you used me."

Harry was fine with Ginny being angry. He was even alright with her being angry at him. Despite the misgivings Harry had about Ginny's arrangement with Hermione, he honestly believed that Hermione did what she did for Ginny's benefit as much as her own.

So when Ginny accused Hermione of using her, Harry went off. With a single flare from his wand, a raw blast of magic exploded from his outstretched wand, hitting Ginny in the chest and throwing her to the floor. As she hit the floor, she attempted to scramble back her feet. Unfortunately for her, Harry was quickly and he easily Disarmed her, her wand floating gently into his hand.

"We used you?" Harry barked. "You KILLED A MAN!"

"You've killed, Harry!" Ginny snapped back.

"Yes, I have. When presented with no other choice, I have killed. But I have never killed anyone who was defenseless. I've never killed anyone who had surrendered. I defended myself. You murdered someone."

"You don't get to take the moral high ground with me. She turned me into an assassin."

"What did she order you to do?" Harry asked, stepping forward so that he was within just a few inches of her face.

"She ordered me to kill people!"

"She didn't!" Harry roared, his wand flaring again. "I interrogated her thoroughly. She asked you to resolve situations. She repeatedly said that she didn't care how situations were handled, just that they were handled."

Suddenly, Ginny was silent. Several times, she opened her mouth to speak before thinking better. In the end, she turned and marched to the opposite end of the tent, taking a seat as far away from Harry as she could be. Still, Harry didn't allow her the distance she wanted. Instead, he followed her, refusing to let her get away so easily.

"You were the one who decided that murdering everyone was how to handle the jobs. You could have worked more deliberately, you could have chosen any other way, you could have figured out a way. But you didn't-."

"Stop." Ginny pleaded as Harry ignored her.

"You didn't." Harry repeated grimly. "You decided that killing everyone was easier. All that time spent training you to become something better and what do you use it for? Nothing. No creativity, no desire to do something different or be something better. No desire to save lives and certainly no desire to allow anyone a second chance. Ultimately, you were just a blunt object because that's what you wanted."

Harry bent down so that his face was level with Ginny's.

"If you didn't want to do the job, you could have just disappeared."

"And never see my family again?" Ginny growled, standing up to Harry.

"You could have visited them whenever you wanted. You were trained to be invisible. When you wanted to, you got back into the country without any of us knowing, even Hermione." Harry replied, challenging her weak argument. "So you'll come back to London to kill a member of the Masters of Death but not to see your family?"

"I wasn't allowed…"

"Since when have you cared whether or not you were allowed!?" Harry bellowed in frustration. "You've never cared what anyone thought about you before. Why start now!?"

When Ginny failed to respond quickly, Harry leaned forward and let her have it.

"You murdered Malfoy, Ginny. That's on you and only you. You were given the opportunity to do good things for the Ministry by Hermione. Did you do your job? Yes. But you chose to do it the way you did. You know, somewhere deep inside, that there was nothing in your orders that explicitly directed you to kill every single person you came up against. The reason you stayed away from your family is that you were ashamed."

Instantly, Ginny's eyes flashed up towards Harry's, burning with a rage that reminded Harry of the girl that he had once loved. Even if he knew that she was exceedingly upset with him, seeing that passion in her again was something he thought he would never see from her again.

"Ashamed!? Of what?" Ginny said with indignation.

At this, Harry chose not to respond with venom. Instead, he quieted his voice to little more than a whisper and let Ginny have the truth, simple and unfiltered.

"You were ashamed because you knew everything that I just told you." Harry reasoned. "You knew that you didn't have to kill. Yet, you did. You told yourself that it was you completing your mission but internally, in your heart and soul, you knew better. That's why you stayed away. Not because you were told that you couldn't but because you couldn't look your family in the eye without feeling guilt over all the people that you killed."

Ginny replied with a stern glare. However, that glare eventually faded into something that Harry couldn't quite read. It might have been guilt. It could have been grief.

"Did you know that you still refer to Fred like he's alive?"

Suddenly, that stern look was forced back onto her face.

"Excuse me?"

"When you broke me out, you said that you figured out a workaround for the Peruvian Instant Darkness Powder that Fred and George sell. Not sold, sell."

"Well, they do still sell it."

"No." Hermione said softly. "George sells it."

"You are really going to give me grief over how I talked about Fred in one instance." Ginny said, rolling her eyes strongly. "I'm not talking about this."

"That's nothing new." Harry quipped.

"What did you say?" Ginny said as she turned and marched toward Harry defiantly, shoving him in the back as he walked away. "What did you say!?"

"I said that's nothing new." Harry growled, not backing down for a moment. Instead, he snapped back to Ginny, his wand flaring with light as he did. In a single motion, he entered Ginny's personal space, bumping his chest against hers, forcing her to take a step back. She was clearly shocked by just how aggressive Harry was being.

Harry could see that Hermione out of the corner of his eye, nervously glancing between the two of them, almost outwardly wondering who would be the first to attack again.

"How's that?" Ginny finally answer, her hand on her chest where Harry had run into her.

"You never wanted to talk. You left the moment you could and when things got too bad for you, you decided that, instead of talking to someone about it, you were just going to kill someone."

"That's rich coming from the man who hid himself away inside his own house for a year." Ginny said, making a point that Harry had to admit made a lot of sense.

"You're not wrong that I didn't handle my own problems well." Harry admitted as Ginny laughed darkly. "But I gave myself time to deal with it. I never tried to pretend that I was fine. You tried to go about your life as if you were fine and you weren't!"

"I never tried to kill myself, Harry." Ginny said with eyes deader than her victims. It was the lowest blow that Harry could have imagined coming from her.

"Didn't you?" Harry shot back, rising to her bait. "A ten day drinking bender through the streets of the Muggle parts of Bueno Aires? That sounds like an attempt to self-medicate. Sounds like the same thing I did, Gin. But there was one major difference."

"And what is that?"

"I didn't leave everyone who cared about me for another continent." Harry answered honestly. "I stayed where people could help me. Maybe that was the one smart part of my brain taking over and doing something that could actually be helpful instead of self-destructive."

Finally, the room went silent. Harry glared at Ginny, waiting for her to say something. But as the seconds passed, it became very clear to Harry that she wasn't going to respond. Whether she believed he was right or whether she simply didn't want to fight about it anymore, Harry couldn't be sure.

In either case, it was fairly clear that this conversation was over.

"Can we talk about Nurmengard?" Hermione whispered softly, doing her best to cut through the tension in the room.

Harry sighed deeply, letting his lungs go empty before sucking in a breath to steady himself. Turning to Hermione, he nodded and pointed at the table. At this point, Harry didn't particularly care if Ginny followed or ran out. In all of his life, he had never been as frustrated or as disappointed in someone as he was in Ginny.

"What did you find out?"

"Charlie's been on the ground for two whole days now. He's confirmed what Ginny said. The amount of traffic coming in and out of the place is incredibly uncommon for a detention facility for only one person."

"So the Masters of Death do control the fortress?" Harry asked for final confirmation.

"They do. While there has been no visual confirmation of the Phantom there yet, Charlie said that that fortress is clearly run as a military installation and not a prison."

"Great." Harry muttered to himself.

"I told you this already." Ginny said as she began to creep towards the table.

"Yeah, well forgive me for not trusting you to be right." Harry snapped over his shoulder before turning back to Hermione. "We need to go there."

"Why?"

"Because I was able to interrogate one of the men who was with Wise when they captured Aberforth."

"How?" Ginny asked in confusion.

"That's not important." Harry deflected, although he did note a shared look of confusion between the two women. "What is important is that he told me that Gellert Grindelwald wishes to speak with me."

"Why would he want that?" Hermione asked.

"I am Dumbledore's pupil. Apparently, The Phantom is his. He told his men that if they were ever captured by me, they were to inform me that he wished to speak to me. I think we can get some more information out of him about who the Phantom is."

"You don't think it's Wise?" Ginny asked nervously. "He is the one who came after you and Aberforth."

"The Master that I spoke to said that he had seen Wise and the Phantom at the same time."

"Could the Phantom be more than one person?" Hermione questioned.

"No." Harry replied strongly. "Each time I've encountered him, he's known things about our previous encounters. Unless he's sharing his memories and having the replacements commit them to memory, which seems like far too much work, I don't think it's possible."

"But it is possible." Hermione argued.

"I suppose it is but they are attempting to take over a country. I think that this level of subterfuge is simply too much work for someone who is also supposed to be in charge of their military forces."

Hermione nodded, conceding that point, while Ginny seemed to still be thinking deeply about something.

"What's the situation with the Ministry?"

"Lyman has placed everything countrywide on lockdown." Hermione said, her teeth gritted in frustration. "She's been attempting to take control of the school. Thankfully, the wards that I was able to activate have prevented her from any sort of access."

"You were able to activate them without removing my access, correct?"

"I was." Hermione answered. "Why do you need access to the school?"

"Kathryn Downey is still in the wind. Eventually, I'm going to need to find her. But right now, Grindelwald is my top concern. How challenging is it going to be to get into Nurmengard?"

Hermione shuffled uncomfortably in her seat, looking off into the distance as if the overcast sky would somehow give her the answers she was looking for.

"Hermione?"

Hermione's answer nearly exploded from her mouth. "Nearly impossible. Based on what Charlie has been telling me, no one gets to Apparate directly inside the fortress. That means that everyone has to go through a security checkpoint."

"Does that information match what you know?" Harry asked Ginny.

Ginny sighed. "I can't tell you anything. I made the Vow."

"Of course." Harry growled. "How the fuck were you supposed to actually pass information on the Masters of Death if you couldn't say anything? What good is a spy who can't say anything!?"

Ginny jumped up from her spot and marched across the room. But before Ginny could answer, Hermione jumped in.

"Let's move past that." Hermione requested with a pointed look at Harry before turning to Ginny. "When you gave the Vow, were you ordered to keep the specific questions a secret?"

Suddenly, Ginny had a look on her face that Harry hadn't seen in awhile: she was smiling.

"No." Ginny smirked. "They asked us to keep all of these secrets but they never asked us to keep the questions themselves secret."

"Why is this important?" Harry asked Hermione.

"Because you can find out what they thought was important." Ginny said, cutting Hermione off. "I was asked not to reveal the names or behaviors of any other members of the Masters of Death. I was asked not to reveal the location of our base in England. I was asked not to reveal the location of Nurmengard. I was asked not to physically describe either location to anyone out the Masters of Death. Finally, I was ordered not to reveal any working knowledge of any plans the Masters of Death were working on."

"That's a pretty complete list." Harry grumbled. "Is there anything you can tell us?"

"Not anymore. The Masters of Death adapt. I've been gone for more than a week. At this point, it would like I was never even there. Plus, I can't get into any sort of description because I Vowed that I wouldn't."

"Great."

Harry stood and separated himself from the other two so that he could think for a moment. He knew that most of his frustration came from Ginny's actions and attitude. Still, he couldn't help but feel that he was frozen in a constant state of inaction.

On side of him desperately wanted to go to Nurmengard to seek out Gellert Grindelwald. From the beginning, Harry had sensed that everything would ultimately go back to him. In some ways, this seemed like the true end to the war between Dumbledore and Grindelwald. Each had selected a proxy, someone who would unknowingly (or knowingly in the case of the Phantom) carry on the legacy of their mentor.

But to run away from England and away from the problems that Samantha Lyman and Tiberius Ogden were causing seemed like abandoning his friends and family to a temporary state of tyranny. Even if the wards surrounding Hogwarts were the greatest in the world, Lyman would eventually have her ward breakers get through them. With enough effort, even that was inevitable.

Could he give up Hogwarts for more information on Grindelwald's Phantom? Could he knowingly give up his first home for a chance to defeat The Masters of Death.

Just as he thought he was going to freeze and be unable to make a decision, Hermione placed a hand on his shoulder, causing Harry to jump with surprise.

With a gentle smile, Hermione turned him around and kissed him gently on the cheek.

"I can organize things here for a few days, Harry." Hermione assured him. "But you need to go see Grindelwald."

"Why?" Harry asked.

"Because if you don't, you will always wondered why he wanted to speak with you. Plus, I know you. You always seem to be able to get the information you want. I don't think that will be any different with Grindelwald."

"I imagine he'll be a tough nut to crack."

"He's not going to give you the name of his Phantom." Hermione chuckled softly. "But he might just slip and give you a clue. Between the two of us, a clue is all we need. All we need is a crack, Harry. If you can make him give you one, we'll be in and The Masters of Death will be ours."

Of all the things in the world, Harry could always count on Hermione to say just what he needed to hear. Not that Hermione always spoke what he wanted to hear. Far from it. But when Harry was plagued with indecision, she seemed to know just what he was thinking and how to filter one thought from another.

"Go back to London. Start organizing everyone." Harry told Hermione before looking at Ginny. "Get your things together. We've got a prison to break into."


	19. Chapter 19

It took Harry and Ginny almost five whole days to reach Nurmengard. Unfortunately, due to the Vow that she had taken, Ginny was almost completely useless in directing Harry towards the fortress. Thankfully, they were able to follow a series of directions that had been given to them by Charlie which would get them to the cabin that he was currently hiding in.

First, they had to figure out how they were going to get to the mainland. According to Hermione, all magical forms of transportation leaving England were being screened, meaning that magical transportation couldn't be considered until they hit the mainland. Even then, once they got to within a few hundred miles of Nurmengard, they couldn't risk the possibility that the Masters of Death would be able to track them.

This meant that they were going to have to utilize a very foreign mode of transportation: the Muggle variety. For a moment, Harry and Ginny considered stowing away on a ferry across the English Channel into France and then going from there. But, in order to speed up the process a bit, Harry, under a rather impressive set of concealment charms, went to Gringotts and converted some of his on hand gold into Muggle money.

Once that was done, Harry and Ginny made their way to the Charles de Gaulle Airport under the guise of a married American couple, taking a ferry to France and then a train to Paris. A few spells from Ginny changed their voices just enough that they wouldn't have to affect any sort of terrible American accent to pull off the ruse.

At the airport, they boarded a plane to Munich, a flight that would take just under two hours. Thankfully, Harry was able to bring a book with him on his flight, which was able to distract him.

Landing in Munich, the fugitive pair quickly exited the airport and used the railway to exit the city. At this point, they were on their own. As far as Harry could tell from the information given to him by Charlie, Nurmengard was hidden somewhere in the Bavarian Forest on the border between Germany and the Czech Republic. That meant a solid two day hike to the fortress while avoiding many of the major roadways.

In order to avoid those roadways, they were forced to take a less direct path to the fortress, meaning that what could have been a hike that should have taken two days stretched into almost four.

Of course, getting lost in the mountains at the edge of the forest during a torrential downpour hadn't helped them.

Thankfully, they were able to fight through the terrain and the weather and almost exactly five days later, Harry and Ginny arrived at a small cabin that was almost certainly the one that Charlie had given them directions towards.

Still, as Harry approached the door, he had his wand in hand, wary of what might be inside. Knocking, Harry waited for Charlie to approach the door.

"Who is it?" came a muffled voice from the other side.

"Harry Potter and Ginny Weasley." Harry said firmly.

"When did you meet me first?" Charlie clearly asked.

"Before my fourth year, we went to the Wizarding World Cup with the rest of the Weasleys." Harry answered before asking his own question. "What kind of dragon did I send you from Hagrid?"

"A Norwegian Ridgeback." Charlie said as he opened the door, a huge grin on his face. "Harry Potter, as I live and breath, it is good to see you!"

However, before Harry could hug the elder Weasley, Harry noticed that his line of sight was now focused over Harry's shoulder on his sister.

"Ginny…." Charlie said, his voice suddenly strange. "How long has it been?"

"About six months." Ginny replied. For a moment, Harry didn't think anything of it. But then the timeline of Ginny's life flashed in his mind and Harry turned to Ginny. Before he could ask, however, Ginny was answering his question. "Charlie doesn't live in England. I've visited him two or three times since I got out of Azkaban."

"But I thought you were working for the Masters of Death six months ago?" Harry asked.

"I was." Ginny confirmed. "However, they don't watch you every moment of every day. After a particularly bad mission, I snuck away from Nurmengard and visited Charlie since I knew I wasn't supposed to go back home."

"It's good to see you again, little sister." Charlie said with a sad grin. "Please, come in."

Once Harry entered the cabin, it was clear that this place was being used as a meeting location and nothing more. The owners of this place were obviously Muggles who must have appreciated the finer parts of hunting. At the very least, they made it a point to use antlers in all of their decorating.

"So what are we looking at?" Harry asked as he took a seat on the small sofa. "Is it going to be impossible to get in?"

"Almost definitely." Charlie scoffed as he sat across from Harry. "And then even if you get in, there's no way in hell you're getting back out again with no one noticing you."

"Great." Harry muttered mostly to himself. "Do you see anything that we could do to improve our chances?"

Charlie seemed to think to himself for a moment before answering. When he did, he suddenly had a rather maniacal look on his face.

"You know...there is something that I think we can do." Charlie said with glee.

"I don't like it when he gets that look." Ginny commented, almost in fear.

* * *

"Are you sure this is going to work?" Harry asked fearfully.

"Sure? No. But I'm pretty sure."

It had taken two days for Charlie to get the details of his plan together. For nearly thirty hours, Charlie hadn't let them in on what he was trying to do. For that time, they were required to simply sit and wait.

Finally, Charlie had entered the cabin with that same maniacal grin on his face and uttered one word: "Norberta."

To Ginny, it meant nothing.

But Harry knew exactly what that meant. That also meant that he knew just why Charlie had been smiling. About twenty hours later, Charlie finally received the message.

Norberta had arrived.

Once that was confirmed, Harry left the cabin with the two Weasleys and marched deep into the woods. After nearly two hours of hiking, they finally reached a clearing where a large cage sat. Inside the cage was Norberta, the Norwegian Ridgeback, the dragon that Harry and Hermione had helped Hagrid sent to Charlie.

But now, Norberta stood nearly thirty feet tall and could spit fire almost forty feet.

That meant that Harry wasn't getting any closer to Norberta than he had to.

"Are you sure this is going to work?" Harry asked fearfully.

"Sure? No. But I'm pretty sure." Charlie confirmed.

"Can we go over the plan again?" Ginny asked as she eyed the dragon.

"There's not really much of a plan." Charlie admitted. "Nurmengard is about a thirty minute hike into the valley. Our plan is to transport Norberta there and release her. Far from what it seems, Norberta is one of the better trained dragons that we work with."

Norberta responded with a blast of fire that stretched almost reached Ginny, causing her to jump back from the dragon.

"That does not necessarily leave me feeling inspired." Harry muttered.

"Listen, you needed a distraction, I'm giving you one. Norberta is the only dragon that I have that I can actually call back so that's what you're getting."

"And you think this is going to work?"

Charlie nodded. "We're going to release her as close to the fortress as possible. Dragons are attracted to noise and I can tell you that once they see her, they're going to make a lot of noise. You need to get in and out under the cover of a distraction. Norberta will cause chaos."

"Of that, I have no doubt." Harry smirked.

"Do you have any other questions? Because it's going to be dark soon and that's going to be when you want to hit."

Harry shook his head and turned to Ginny who agreed. With everything in place, they grabbed their things and started walking. As Charlie said, it was a relatively short hike, only about forty minutes as they worked to levitate the cage that Norberta was in.

When they reached their launching point, a ridge that overlooked the cliff that held Nurmengard, Harry was shocked by what he saw. Like most giant magical structures, Nurmengard was Unplottable and protected by more wards than you could destroy in a single day. But a structure that large and with that many people couldn't be protected by a Fidelius Charm, which meant to any magical person who happened to come upon it, the fortress was completely visible.

And it was massive. A single spire that rose from the cliff below, the castle sprawled out in all directions with small dots that marked encampments. Harry tried to count them but before he was even a quarter of the way done, he had reached one hundred.

"Merlin." Harry whispered before turning to the other two. But then Harry remembered that they had both seen this before. "How many?"

"When I was last there, the count was over six hundred."

"How?"

"Witches and wizards from around the world." Ginny explained. "Whenever someone becomes disillusioned with Muggles running the world, they find their way here."

"How many countries are they working on infiltrating right now?"

"At last count, just one." Ginny confirmed. "They had never attempted to directly take control over another country's Ministry before. Leadership assumed that if they could take England, it would become an example to everyone that they were capable of taking over more."

"They're close to being able to tell people they've succeeded."

"To be honest, I imagine they already have." Ginny said sadly.

"We have to take the Ministry back. If we don't-"

"If we don't, they have the influence to gain footholds in a dozen other countries around Europe. From there, there would be no stopping them."

Harry knew above everything else, he couldn't allow that to happen. That meant bringing the Masters of Death into the light and fighting them in the one place they couldn't hide: the public. Harry quickly made a decision. When he got home, he was done fighting this fight in the shadows.

When he got back to England, he was taking the fight to the Masters of Death in a way that would bring their actions into the public eye.

That was a fight they wouldn't win.

"We're going to go down there." Harry ordered firmly. "When we're ready, I'll send my Patronus."

"You got it." Charlie nodded before extending a hand to Harry. "Good luck. Get the intel you need and then get the fuck out of there."

"You got it." Harry smirked as he took Charlie's hand. That said, Harry turned to Ginny, who had her jaw set firmly in place. Seeing that she was ready, Harry began the slow descent down the cliff. While it wasn't exactly straight down, it was certainly steep enough that any wrong step would at least hurt you significantly.

Of course, that was if you managed to stop. If not, you would roll off the edge of the cliff and plummet to your death in the valley below. Not great options either way.

It took the pair another hour to get in position, a large rock structure that put them only about fifty meters from the wall that surrounded the fortress.

When they were there, Harry turned to Ginny.

"Ready?"

"Hell no." Ginny snapped.

"Great." Harry replied before turning and whispering, " _Expecto Patronum!"_

Typically, his Patronus fired with a great white blast of light. This time, it creeped out of his wand, almost no flash at all. This meant that no one would be attracted to the light of the Patronus, something that Harry did his very best to avoid.

"Charlie is up the hill." Harry told the stag. " _Go!"_

With a simple nod, the stag sprinted out of sight. Several minutes passed as Harry and Ginny waited for something, anything to happen.

Then, they heard it. At first, it was distant.

The second time Norberta roared, it echoed through the whole valley. Almost instantly, Harry could see action and a flurry of movement from inside the walls of Nurmengard.

Then, from over the hills, Harry saw her in all her glory. Her wings spread, she roared a third time. Even at the distance that she was, the sound that she made was amazing.

For a few seconds, she simply flew, enjoying the freedom from her cage. But then someone from inside the camp made the mistake that Harry had been hoping for.

They fired something at the dragon. Almost immediately, the dragon noticed the curse, which had no chance of hitting her and even less a chance of doing any damage. Norberta quickly altered course, diving for the castle, roaring with displeasure.

Quickly, Harry turned and cast the proper charms to dress Harry and Ginny in garb that looked almost identical to the Masters of Death. Now, Harry could only hope that in the chaos about to ensue, no one would notice the difference.

Finally, Norberta honed in and dove, firing a stream of fire that covered the ground with a wall of fire.

"Move!" Harry shouted as the fortress entered a state of panic and disarray. As they approached the gate, Harry was glad to see that the gate attendants had already fled. Thankfully, the first attack had hit within a few feet of the gate, scaring the guard from their posts.

Once Harry and Ginny broke through the gate, they started streaking towards the castle, following a string of people who were racing toward the structure. As they did, Norberta turned and flew back towards the castle, letting out another vicious string of flames that nearly hit Harry.

Had he been another step or two forward, he would have been burned to nothing in seconds. Instead, it was the pair of Masters in front of them who screamed momentarily before the flames overwhelmed them. With a flip of his wand, Harry separated the flames, leaving just enough space for Harry and Ginny to get through before the opening closed back up again.

Once they were inside, Harry turned to Ginny.

"Where?"

"Up." she replied before sprinting to the closest set of stairs. Harry followed her as they started to ascend. Thankfully, in the panic of their surroundings, no one seemed to question why they were running up when everyone else was running down.

It was the joy of wearing masks.

Finally, they reached the top floor where Ginny immediately broke to the right and then stopped behind a wall where she leaned over to Harry.

"If I'm right, these men won't have moved. They are ordered to stay and protected him no matter what."

"So we'll take them down."

"We won't have much time. Someone will come to check on them."

"Then I'll talk fast." Harry said before stepping around the corner. As he did, he saw that Ginny was correct. Two masked figures stood in front of a single wall with no door. That didn't fool Harry. He knew that Grindelwald was behind that wall, door or not.

Both men stepped forward, their hands on their wands. Unfortunately for them, they waited to attack.

Harry did not. In just a second, Harry Stunned both of them, throwing them against the wall where they slumped back unconscious. With that done, Harry turned and looked at the wall.

"How do we get in?"

"Apparate. I know you've seen the image of the room."

"Yeah." Harry sighed, remembering the image that Voldemort's emotions forced into his head during the Battle of Hogwarts. "See you on the other side."

With the image of Grindelwald's cell in mind, Harry turned and disappeared. He rematerialized inside that image and inside that cell.

Seated in front of him was an old, frail man seated on a single bench, a barred window behind him. The man looked like a ghost, thin and pale with almost no muscle definition left in his body. His eyes were yellow*, piercing through the dark, almost pulsing. His teeth were nearly the same color and jagged, giving him the look of some sort of crazed predator.

Yet, Harry could feel a power radiate from him, something that betrayed the weakness in his frail body. As Harry stepped forward, Grindelwald's eyes never dropped from his, making Harry feel as if Grindelwald were attempting to scan his mind. When Harry felt no attempt to scan his own mind, Harry flick his wand slightly and silently scanned the outer layer of thoughts in the old man's mind.

What Harry saw was far worse than he had expected. Harry had expected hatred. He had expected evil.

What he got was...joy. He felt as joyful as a child on Christmas morning. Despite the fact that the man couldn't likely stand on his own, he felt happier than any man that Harry had ever known.

"Harry. James. Potter." Grindelwald said, punctuating each word. "I've been waiting for you."

"How did you know it was me?" Harry asked as he removed his mask.

To answer, Grindelwald simply pointed at his head. For a moment, Harry thought that Grindelwald had been able to scan Harry's mind without alerting any of Harry's defense. But there was another possibility to consider.

"You're a Seer?"

"Since the day I was born." Grindelwald chuckled. "I've seen things, Harry. My life has been an interesting one. How do you project an air of confidence when you have foreseen your defeats? It's quite the juxtaposition, is it not?"

"Which defeats did you see?"

"I saw a few. Most were inconsequential in the end. Even when I saw them in my vision, I knew they would mean almost nothing. But I did see my defeat at Godric's Hollow. I saw that I would lose Albus on that day. It was the first defeat that I saw. I did everything that I could to prevent it. Still, I ended up inside Albus' home, fighting with his fool of a brother over the power of his sister."

"The power of Ariana?"

"Do you know what an Obscurus is?" Grindelwald asked. In his year of studying at Grimmauld Place, he had come across the term several times. He nodded in confirmation. "Would it surprise you if I told you that Ariana was an Obscurus?"

Initially, Harry was surprised. But the more he thought about it, the more it made sense. Ariana found it nearly impossible to control her magic, a common trait for an Obscurial. When she died, no one was able to confirm who had caused her death. But if it had been the result of an Obscurus, there would have been no curse that had done it but the Obscurus itself, consuming her.

"Not really." Harry finally admitted. "You wanted to use her power?"

"Why wouldn't I?" Grindelwald asked rhetorically. "The Obscurus is the next step in our evolution, Harry. That power? If we could learn to harness it, to wield it, we would become unstoppable. The Muggles would have no choice but to bow in awe."

"That power is born from hiding your power." Harry retorted. "Something you wouldn't have to do if you succeeded."

"True. But it would be worth it." Grindelwald scowled.

"Everything comes back to that, doesn't it?" Harry scoffed. "Your mad dream of taking over the world."

"Even Albus agreed with me for a time."

"Yes, before he saw the monster you are." Harry countered immediately. "Once he saw that, he backed away from your extremism."

"Extremism? Mr. Potter, let's refrain from using words that don't actually mean anything, shall we? My views are just as extreme as yours."

"Excuse me?"

"Our beliefs are binary, Harry." Grindelwald said, lifting his hands in front of him to either side. "Either you believe that magic rules all or that the Muggles rule all."

"They don't rule us and we don't rule them."

"They don't rule us?" Grindelwald said combatively. "Which of us is hiding from the world? Which group has a doctrine that our existence must be denied to the rest of the world?"

"It's for the safety of everyone." Harry replied calmly. "If it wasn't for that, there would be all out war."

Suddenly, with a speed and power that Harry would never have expected, Grindelwald stood, raw magical power coursing from him.

"And why is that such a bad thing?" Grindelwald taunted. "We are better than them. More advanced than them. More civilized than them. Why is it that we should not fight them and lay claim to the world as we should?"

"Because there are twenty of them for every one of us." Harry said. "It's not unreasonable to think that maybe we don't have the right to rule the world simply because we're more powerful. They outnumber us in every way. That means the world should be theirs."

Grindelwald chuckled, his teeth clenched. Then, as if all of the energy left his body, he collapsed into his chair, speaking weakly.

"Albus taught you well. He taught you incorrectly but he taught you well. You believe everything he told you, don't you? You believe that he was a great and wise wizard and that I was evil and destructive?"

"I believe that he was a man who wanted great things." Harry replied. "He made mistakes. He kept secrets from those who would have benefited from them. But in the end, I think he wanted what was best."

"For whom? For witches and wizards? Hardly." Grindelwald growled. "If he had wanted that, he would have joined me that day in Godric's Hollow. No, what Dumbledore wanted was peace, plain and simple. Even back then, he was weak. He avoided conflict at every chance and sought a peaceful option when one didn't exist."

"We've had peace with the Muggles. The only peace we can't seem to keep is among wizards."

"Why do you think that is?" Grindelwald asked. "Because magic brings out the worst in us? Because the world is too small for all that power? Or could it simply be because we've been repressed for centuries when we should have been exalted!?"

Harry had assumed that Grindelwald was going to be a fanatic. But he couldn't have imagined how charismatic the man was, even in his advanced age. If Harry hadn't know just how power hungry the man was, even he would have at least considered joining him. Regardless of how you felt on his opinions, he could make you feel as if the world owed you the world and if you joined him, you could simply reach out and take it.

"You wanted me to come talk to you." Harry said, changing the subject. "Why?"

"Because I wanted to see just how indoctrinated in the art of Albus Dumbledore you were. To be honest, I expected more from you, Mr. Potter. From everything I've heard about you, you are a man of your own opinions. But all I'm hearing is the musings of an old man long dead."

"It's funny. That's all I've heard about you as well. You've been dead for years, Gellert. Your body simply hasn't caught up yet." Harry snapped with venom.

Grindelwald laughed boldly at Harry's comment.

"There we go! That's what I'm talking about! We can speak as _men_ do." Gellert said with a growl of emphasis. "Albus never wanted to speak boldly. He never voiced his true opinion. He spent his life being gentle and meek and so... _accommodating_ to everyone. But that was his nature." Grindelwald said as he stood and approached Harry. Then, he started to circle him, like a shark closing in on its prey.

"But it's not yours. It's something you've learned. Something you've trained yourself to do. But it's not your instinct."

"No, this is." Harry said as he grabbed the old man by the shoulders and threw him back into his chair. "Now, you're going to shut up and answer my questions."

"Unlikely." Grindelwald said as he stood once more. That's when Harry noticed the wand in his hand: Harry's wand. Thankfully, Harry came prepared for events like this.

In a single motion, Harry ducked under the Killing Curse that Grindelwald fired and grabbed The Elder Wand from his back pocket before drawing it and firing a Stunner at Grindelwald. When he had been trying to stand or simply seated, Gellert Grindelwald looked every bit his age.

But with a wand in his hand, he was suddenly a young man again. With a swift flick of his wand, he blocked Harry's Stunner into the wall behind him.

For a moment, the pair stood facing each other, wands aimed for the kill shot. That's when Grindelwald's eyes widened.

"I know that wand." he whispered to himself, almost reverently.

"I know." Harry smirked before stepping forward. "Let me show you what it's like to be on the receiving end of it."

Harry stepped forward and fired a chain of spells that no person on earth, not even Voldemort himself, would have had a chance to stop in the small space they stood in.

Yet, when all was said and done, Grindelwald still stood, cut and bruised but standing nonetheless with a cruel smile on his face. Then, with the grace of a much younger man, Grindelwald returned fire. While he was nowhere near as quick as Harry, his curses packed a punch like no person that Harry had ever dueled.

Clearly, Grindelwald had been hoping to kill Harry in that series of shots because once he was done firing, he nearly collapsed, exhausted from the effort required to fire with the power of a much younger man.

Seeing that opening, Harry fired again. This time, Gellert Grindelwald went down, collapsed into his chair with ropes around him, tying him to the seat. Leaning down, Harry picked up his wand from the floor and placed it back in his robes.

"You brought an extra wand intentionally." Grindelwald said with what sounded like admiration. "You wanted me to take your wand."

"Not bad for an old man." Harry responded candidly as he kneeled in front of the elderly convict. "But in the end, I may be the best duelist alive and I'm in my prime. You're an old man using a wand that doesn't belong to you. You never stood a chance."

"A bit cocky, aren't you, _boy_?" Grindelwald growled darkly. "What I would have given to fight you in my prime. You would have been quite the challenge."

"I highly doubt it." Harry answered before conjuring a chair and sitting across from Grindelwald so that he could look him in the eye. "Why did you want to talk to me?"

Grindelwald sighed, both in exhaustion and defeat, before he answered.

"They said you were the best wizard alive. I am nearing the end of my life. I wanted to see what the best wizard alive looked like. You fit the billing, Mr. Potter."

"Thanks." Harry replied, shocked at the honesty of the answer.

"You know, you remind me a bit of myself when I was your age." Grindelwald said softly. When Harry didn't respond, he continued. "At your age, I was just beginning to understand just how special I was. I had already lost my friendship with Albus over the power of his sister, an argument which I regret to this day. If only I had waited, been more patient to ensure that his pathetic brother wasn't listening, then I may have been able to convince Albus to come with me."

"Alas, I lost Albus on that day. So, I followed the clues to the Elder Wand and took it. From that day, once the Elder Wand became mine, I started the revolution that Albus had been too afraid to join. But for years, it was small. No one was watching, no one was concerned with Gellert Grindelwald's little band of revolutionaries. All of that changed in 1906. I was twenty-five years old. For months, we had been striking at various Muggle installations around Europe, killing five or ten. This was different. We were in the north of France, a small town called Courrières. You see in this small town, there was a mine. We placed three of those miners under the Imperius Curse, telling them to go into the mine and light a fire."

"We expected the deaths of maybe one hundred or two hundred people. Instead, we killed one thousand and ninety-nine Muggles in the explosion. This led to a bit of a reckoning within my group. For some, that was too much death and destruction, even for the lowly Muggles. They attempted to leave and were….dealt with."

"But what was astonishing was that for every one person that tried to leave, we were able to recruit ten. We went from being a small insurgency to a true army of followers, a militia devoted to turning the world upside down. For years, until my near capture in 1922, we moved across the continent relatively unopposed. The governments of Europe were powerless against our crusade."

"But all of that came from that single event in Courrières when we finally made ourselves known to the world." Grindelwald chuckled suddenly before correcting himself. "When I made _myself_ known to the world. The name Gellert Grindelwald was suddenly synonymous with power, with fear and with the drive to end the Muggles' stranglehold on the world's power structure. You're facing one of those moments right now, Mr. Potter. If you defeat the Masters of Death after having already dealt with that fool Riddle and then that little rebellion a few years ago, suddenly the world will know and respect the name of Harry Potter for more than just defeating a Dark Lord when he was still a boy. They'll start to respect the man. You'll go from being the next Albus Dumbledore to becoming something else."

"What's that?"

"You'll become a legend greater than any wizard since Merlin himself. No one would compare you to Dumbledore or Riddle or myself or Mad Eye Moody any longer. Instead, everyone would be compared to you and fall pathetically short."

"I don't care about any of that." Harry finally said.

"You should." Grindelwald smirked. "To most of Europe, I am still the gold standard of Dark wizards, although I don't consider myself to be one. You think about protecting your own homeland, Harry, but that limits the reach of your power. If you defeat the Masters of Death, you become what Dumbledore could never become: the savior of the wizarding world. There will be nothing you won't be able to do, nothing that you can't convince of the world. You will achieve power the likes of which Dumbledore and I couldn't have dreamed of. The world will be yours to command."

Harry was frightened by the similarities Grindelwald was trying to draw between the pair of them. The implication was clear: that Harry was attempting to fix the Masters of Death problem so that he could control the world. Savior one day, world domination the next.

"I also wanted to warn you." Grindelwald muttered suddenly.

"Of what?"

"The Phantom." Grindelwald admitted. "I have very little control over what goes on here anymore. At my age, I simply do not have the energy to personally run The Masters of Death any longer. As a result, there's little that I am able to influence. But when The Masters of Death sought to bring in an outsider to become the new Phantom, they asked for my approval. So, I met with this person."

"An outsider? What do you mean?"

"The Masters of Death are a family organization." Grindelwald explained calmly. "Almost all of the current leading members had relatives who were part of the organization when it collapsed after my defeat and Alexander Wilson's capture. In fact, our current leader is descended from Alexander himself. But The Phantom is not family. They're _new_ blood. This person...this person joined us willingly and showed such potential that even those who have been family for decades wanted to place them on a pedestal."

"Why is this important to me?"

"Because this person wanted to become The Phantom for a very specific reason."

"And that is?"

"They wanted to bring you to your knees. They wanted you to beg you to kill them. Then, they wanted to kill everyone you loved, destroy the country that you've sworn to protect, take over the school that is your home and only then would they grant you the release of a swift death."

"That sounds like a lot of people." Harry admitted. "Lots of former Death Eaters out there that still hate me. Their relatives, too."

"This person was never a Death Eater." Grindelwald admitted. "In fact, you would still consider this person an ally. Now, who was someone that would be an ally but has now grown to hate you? So much that they wish to see your legacy burned to the ground before you die."

Harry considered that for a moment before the ground around them shook.

"That dragon you let loose on the castle seems to be doing an incredible amount of damage to my castle." Grindelwald chuckled. "I would suggest you leave."

"Who is the Phantom?"

"Why would I tell you?" Grindelwald taunted. "You know all that you need to know. You have the pieces of the puzzle, Harry. It's up to Albus Dumbledore's greatest pupil to put them together now. Because if you don't, _my_ greatest pupil will take control and watch the world burn."

Harry considered Grindelwald's words for a moment before the castle shook once more. This time, however, the shaking didn't stop as a single brick fell from the ceiling.

"It seems that Nurmengard has finally reached its end." Grindelwald chuckled sadly as he stared at the brick before him. "I am glad that I was able to meet you, Harry Potter. Despite our differences, I must say that Albus picked a great successor."

"Albus didn't pick anyone. A prophecy did."

"Does Albus Dumbledore seem like the type to put much faith in prophecies?" Grindelwald said with a knowing look. "Dumbledore chose you because he saw something in you. Much like I chose my protege because I saw something in them."

Another shake of the building. This time, several bricks fell including one that nearly hit Harry in the head.

"Come with me." Harry said. "I can have you put in Azkaban. You'll live there until you die but you'll be safe."

"This is my home." Grindelwald said sadly. "I've spent seventy years in this little room. I don't care to see what happens to the world. I have done my duty by giving magical beings their true defender. I have every confidence that will be my legacy."

Harry wasn't going to fight with an aging mass murderer. So, he Apparated out of the room and back into the hallway where he had been before. Unfortunately, Ginny was nowhere to be seen.

Harry considered looking around for a moment when he suddenly felt the floor beneath him start to give way. The dragon had done an amazing amount of damage to what was supposed to be an indestructible fortress.

The wrath of a woman scorned indeed.

Rather than wait for Ginny, he took off at a dead sprint towards the stairs. Instead of taking them, he leapt from the balcony down to the first floor, nearly twenty stories below. As he got ready to hit the bottom, he cast a Cushioning Charm that caused him to stop on an invisible bed rather than splatter onto the floor below.

Standing, Harry sprinted for the door as he felt the castle begin to collapse around him. As he ran, he looked for Ginny but realized that everyone around him looked like a Master of Death, the same attire that Ginny wore.

Harry raced from the collapsing tower and got clear of the exterior wall within just a few moments. And not a moment too soon as the very second he cleared the exterior wall, the fortress collapsed, sending a wave of dust and debris flying towards him.

At the same time, a single member of the Masters of Death stepped around the rock that Harry hit behind. Quickly, Harry drew his wand and grabbed them by the neck, his wand aimed at their face.

"It's me!" the voice was instantly recognizable as Ginny's. Harry let her go as she removed her mask and robes.

"Where did you go?"

"A couple guards came to check on Grindelwald. They saw the two guys on the floor, got the right idea and attacked. I got pushed down a couple flights of stairs before I could stop them."

"It's fortunate you made it out at all." Harry replied. "We need to get back to England."

"Why? Why so soon at least?"

"Because there's a mole in my ranks." Harry growled. "The Phantom is someone that I trust, an ally. It's time to go flush them out."


	20. Chapter 20

After a quick stay at Charlie's cabin, Harry and Ginny Apparated to Munich where they boarded a plane that would take them back to London. Rather than sticking around the area, Harry Apparated them back to the Forest of Dean where they could begin to prepare for their next set of moves.

Harry ordered Ginny to double-check the wards around their site, a project that would take roughly thirty minutes. With her out of the way, Harry grabbed his magic mirror and contacted Hermione who answered immediately. Rather than letting him speak, she instantly blurted out her first question the moment she saw him.

"Did you go to Nurmengard?"

"I did." Harry confirmed. "I spoke with him. He was fascinating."

"Did you have something to do with it coming down?" Hermione asked, a knowing smirk on her face.

"Charlie may have set Norberta loose on the fortress in order for us to sneak in." Harry chuckled. "We'll have time to talk about that later. I need to ask you some questions."

"About what?"

"First, I need all the information that you can get on Alexander Wilson. He was the last Phantom before Grindelwald was brought down. Specifically, I need information on his lineage."

"Why?"

"I need to know who his descendants are." Harry replied, double-checking to ensure that Ginny could hear none of his conversation. "His wife and child fled from the United States to England under an assumed identity after Wilson's capture in France. Grindelwald told me that the leader of the Masters is a descendant of his."

"So The Phantom is the relative of a former Master?" Hermione asked to confirm just what Harry was saying.

"It doesn't sound like The Phantom is the leader anymore. He might just be the public face. In fact, that's the other thing I want to talk to you about."

"The Phantom?"

Harry nodded. "I need all of Ginny's reports to you. Specifically, I need all the reports since you assigned her to bring down The Masters of Death."

This was the real reason that Harry had given Ginny such a menial and ultimately pointless task. In the twenty-four hours since his conversation with Gellert Grindelwald, only one name made sense to Harry as The Phantom.

That honor belonged to Ginny Weasley.

She had spent a significant period of time with the Masters of Death, even joining them as part of her cover to bring them down.

There was clearly some tension between Harry and Ginny over a variety of issues. While Harry didn't consider Ginny as someone who hated him, he wasn't able rule out the possibility. Maybe she was acting? Maybe she was hiding her true feelings for Harry so that she could wait to strike at the appropriate time?

It was a theory that had been nagging at the back of Harry's mind for the last day and he needed something that would (hopefully) give Harry a reason to trust Ginny again. Without it, the pieces of the puzzle seemed to line up too well.

"Harry?"

"Just do it, Hermione." Harry snapped before instantly realizing how coarse he had sounded. "I'm sorry. I just need that information. I don't want to say too much until I know what's going on."

Hermione's face registered a clear look of concern before she eventually acquiesced and nodded.

"Thanks, Hermione." Harry added. "We're going to be moving soon. Start getting people organized."

"How? You destroyed the coins."

"I had to. Too many people outside of our circle knew about them. You'll think of something."

"I suppose I'll have to." Hermione replied coldly. "Why am I always the one relied upon to come up with something clever?"

"Because I'm hiding in the woods." was Harry's response along with a subtle grin that caused Hermione to roll her eyes but eventually smile. "I'll be home soon."

"I'm counting on it." Hermione said before she disappeared, leaving Harry to look at a tired reflection of himself. About five minutes later, Ginny entered the tent, a satisfied look on her face.

"The wards are fine." Ginny reported calmly. "In fact, it looked as though they hadn't been touched at all."

"Good to know." Harry answered absentmindedly, his mind lost in thought. Even though Harry was suspicious of Ginny, he also couldn't help but give her the benefit of the doubt. If this had been anyone other than Ginny, he would have planned for a way for her to reveal her true motives.

The plan would undoubtedly work. However, if Ginny was innocent of Harry's suspicions, then he would likely destroy what little trust remained between the two of them.

That left Harry with only one option to consider: being upfront with her. As Harry came to that conclusion, an owl flew through their site, dropping a package at the front of the tent. Clearly, Hermione had found Ginny's reports as she was the only other person authorized to enter their wards and by extension, physical communication from her was also allowed.

Thankfully, Ginny hadn't noticed the package drop as she had returned to her bunk to rest. Harry grabbed the package and walked outside to the fire pit they had set up.

Harry didn't have time to read every report that Ginny had made over her time of service with The Ministry. However, even by skimming the reports, Harry could tell that her reports on The Masters of Death were different from the rest. The other reports that Ginny filed were overflowing with details, things that the Ministry could have used for intelligence on authorized missions. Everything from the location of bases to the number of people stationed at a particular location.

On one report, she even sketched an intricate drawing of the pattern of the guards around a facility in Tibet.

But once Ginny started reporting on The Masters of Death, her reports got far more vague. Never was Nurmengard so much as mentioned, let alone reported as the location of The Masters' headquarters. All in all, it painted a picture of someone who was intentionally leaving out details, something that firmed up Harry's decision to speak with Ginny immediately.

"What are those?"

Apparently, he wasn't going to have to wait long to have the conversation. Turning around, Harry saw that Ginny was clearly no longer at her bunk, instead standing behind him, her wand in hand.

"I think you know what they are." Harry replied, turning cautiously. It was amazing to Harry that he could be suspicious of Ginny. Yet, the way he had seen her act in the last few days plus the information in his hand painted a picture that didn't make sense to Harry.

His gut reinforced that opinion.

That made Ginny the most dangerous person he could imagine facing right now. She was clearly unhinged and even if she wasn't working for Grindelwald, that didn't mean that she was in her right mind either way.

"Why do you have those?" Ginny demanded.

"I asked Hermione to send them to me." Harry whispered, his voice calm and even. "You know why."

"You think I'm working with The Masters of Death."

Her voice was hardly elevated, just a bit above her normal speaking voice. But everything from the slight edge in her tone to her aggressive posture to the tight grip on her wand suggested that she was a predator ready to pounce. Harry just had to ensure that didn't happen while he was in such a defenseless situation.

"It's possible." Harry admitted. "I talked with Grindelwald. He said that The Phantom is someone from outside the original ancestral line. You start reporting on The Masters of Death and then six months later, The Masters of Death start moving in on the Ministry."

"I killed Elena King to prevent that!" Ginny replied in her own defense.

"How do I know that?" Harry questioned. "You list no evidence that Elena King was a member of the Masters of Death, nor have you provided any since that day. In fact, the only thing that could consider evidence that we have is the fact that you killed her but that's especially shaky. If she was a Master of Death, why wouldn't you turn her in so that she could be interrogated?"

"The Masters of Death do not allow themselves to be taken alive." Ginny growled.

Harry scoffed. "Do you really think that we couldn't have figured out a way to bring her in? By all accounts, Elena King was a devoted Ministry worker but a witch without any remarkable talent."

Harry threw the reports on the ground in front of him. "Your actions are suspect but they aren't helped by these."

"What about them?"

"There are detailed reports on at least three dozen other missions. The daily logs for them are each at least two pages in length. Some are longer than ten pages. I counted at least two that are twenty and another that is _forty pages long._ "

"Why does that matter?"

"Because your reports on the Masters of Death are barely half the length of your previous reports! Some of them are even shorter than that! There's one in there that's three sentences long!" Harry bellowed. "And even then, there's no concrete intelligence in there. It's all guesswork and speculation." Harry looked down to read from the top report of the pile. "You think that the Masters of Death's headquarters is in Germany? You _believe_ that the Masters of Death have infiltrated the French Ministry? You _guess that Tiberius Ogden may,_ _ **potential**_ _, be a member?_ That's the best you could do!?"

Harry could tell that Ginny was upset. However, he could also tell based on the movement in her hands and feet that she was uncomfortable. Whether that was because she was lying or because she didn't have a good excuse, Harry couldn't be certain yet.

"Your work got sloppy when you were working for The Masters of Death at the very least."

" _Spying_ on the Masters of Death, not working for them!" Ginny roared. "You think you know how to do my job? I spent two years disappearing into new roles, becoming new people. This wasn't some small uprising in Morocco or a extremist camp in Bolivia. This was the largest threat to the world's balance since Voldemort, possibly even greater! So yes, my notes are a bit weak but that's because there was less room for error. Merlin forbid my letter ever get intercepted."

"So that's why your notes were bad? You were worried about your letters being read by The Masters of Death?"

"Is it such an unreasonable thought? These people spent decades snaking their way into Ministries across the continent. You don't think they're watching their own people?"

Surprisingly, Harry hadn't considered that as a possibility and he couldn't deny that it made sense. An organization as secret as The Masters of Death would certainly have to watch their own as much as they kept tabs on the rest of the world. It didn't absolve Ginny completely in his eyes but it was a plus in her direction.

"You never once mention Grindelwald or Nurmengard in those reports." Harry said, moving on to his next problem with her reports. "These facts would have been essential for the Ministry taking your concerns seriously."

"I was under an Unbreakable Vow."

"You told me both of those things!" Harry shouted.

"You don't think that there's a reason for that?" Ginny said, a sudden smirk on her face. "Harry, the only reason England is the first true target for the Masters of Death is because you live here."

"Why?" Harry asked in surprise.

"Because you are the most famous wizard in Europe." Ginny said before sitting down on the bench in front of him. "Look, when I took the Vow, there were two sets of rules: what I could tell everything else and what we could tell you."

"Why?"

"Because the Masters of Death always intended for me to come back to you." she said softly. "Because, in some ways, The Masters of Death view this as a game."

"Charming." Harry muttered.

"They want control but they think that the best way to do it isn't through subterfuge. Instead, they eventually want a full scale war with you. If they stand toe-to-toe with The Man Who Lived and then come out on top-"

"They'll have a story, a cause and they'll be credible." Harry murmured to himself. The more he thought about it, the more it made sense.

"You said they always intended for you to come back to me? Why?"

"They thought that bringing me into the equation would throw you off your game: an old flame, broken by them, with intelligence on how to beat them. You'd either intentionally avoid conflict or run head on into it without thinking."

"In either case, it's a boon for them." Harry reasoned as Ginny nodded. "Do you think I've done either?"

"Harry, you've gotten very good at this over the years. I never once believed that they could bait you into any sort of action." Ginny replied. "Listen, I know that this isn't going to be easy. You aren't going to trust me yet, I get that. Because of what I do and who I've been working for, it's easy for me to understand why people wouldn't trust me. But I am with you, Harry. I escaped from The Masters of Death and I came to you. I want to help you take them down."

"I want to believe that, Ginny, I really do." Harry said honestly. "I just can't place my trust in someone who I'm not certain of their intentions."

"Would it help you to know that The Unbreakable Vow is now broken?"

"Excuse me?" Harry replied. This was certainly something that could change the balance of Harry's feelings on her, a fact that made Harry wary.

"The Vow was with Grindelwald himself. Since he's at the bottom of a ten story pile of rubble, I am free to divulge as much information about the Masters of Death as you want."

"Do you know the identity of the Phantom?" Harry asked, pressing her for information on Harry's most important question.

"I don't. But I do know who is in charge of the Masters of Death."

"It's not The Phantom?" Harry asked. Suddenly, he had a source of information. This was something that he certainly was not going to waste, even if he was unsure of Ginny's loyalties. Even if she fed him incorrect information, he would learn something.

"In the past, yes. But about ten years ago, the Masters decided that when they went public again, they would only use The Phantom as a show of force. The group is run from behind the scenes by someone else."

"Who?" Harry asked. He had a suspicion who she was going to say. Sure enough, her answer was exactly who Harry expected it to be, a plus for her in his mind.

"Christopher Wise." Ginny replied. "People keep talking about the "England branch" of the Masters of Death. There's no such thing. There are branches elsewhere but The Masters of Death are operating in England as their primary staging ground right now."

"How did Wise get involved with the Masters of Death?"

"Apparently, he sought them out after he finished at Hogwarts. No one is quite sure why."

"What is his relationship with Samantha Lyman?"

"They're friends. He's been manipulating Lyman for years, positioning her using some contacts within the Ministry. Basically, he gets her a leg up and then she does the same for him a few months later so they can't be tied together so closely."

Even though Harry's suspicions of Ginny had not completely abated, there was a rather large portion of him that felt better about working with her. He certainly didn't trust her and doubted that he ever would entirely again. But that didn't mean that he couldn't work with her, even if he had to keep a close watch on her.

"Within the Ministry, who has been working for the Masters of Death?"

Ginny smirked at the question, an expression that Harry thought was something like pride. Either way, he wasn't able to quite place how she felt about him asking her this so directly.

"In all, there's about fifty employees that are either members of the Masters of Death or have been leaned on by them." Ginny replied. Harry supposed that he should have been shocked by the number, considering only about four hundred people worked at the Ministry.

In the end, he was surprised it wasn't more.

"But what you actually want to know is who can make things move at the Ministry and are working for the Masters of Death." Ginny added before finally stowing her wand. "Tiberius Ogden, Kathryn Downey, Wise obviously. They kept mentioning Greengrass' name but I could never determine if she was a true member or if they were just working her."

"Excuse me, did you mean Daphne Greengrass?"

"To be honest, I can't be sure. Daphne would be ideal but Astoria is fairly well placed within the Wizengamot Administration Services."

Harry had spent the better part of the last five years convincing the world that Daphne Greengrass was someone that could be trusted. Outside of a very select few, Harry had largely failed. Unfortunately, her place on Harry's team had been seen as a stunt by Daphne to continue her quick ascent through the Ministry. Adding that to having been a member of Slytherin House and almost no one outside of Harry's immediate circle trusted her. Thankfully, Daphne wasn't someone who needed the approval of others to be content with her life.

But, Harry knew that the lack of public trust in her would ultimately styme her ability to continue to move up within the Ministry.

"Dammit." Harry cursed to himself, pacing back and forth by the fire as he thought to himself. "This is all well and good, Gin. But I will need proof of all of this. I obviously can't just take your word for it."

"Well knowing you, you're going to want to talk to Greengrass either way since she was on your task force."

"Yes." Harry agreed firmly. "Don't you worry about her. I'll take care of that. I need someone concrete on Downey, Ogden, Lyman or Wise."

"Well, I know that you've been worried about those Aurors that were sent undercover…"

"What about them?" Harry asked suspiciously.

"We knew their names. We knew everything about them." Ginny revealed softly, her eyes never lifting from the floor in front of them. "I tried to get to them, to convince them to leave. But there was no privacy in that damned castle."

"What happened to them?"

"We were informed that a group of fifteen Aurors were going to be entering our ranks." Ginny whispered, staring off into the distance as if she could see them still. "From day one, they were dead. On the day that they were all supposed to disappear long enough to report in, they were "discovered." Wise had them all brought to the main chamber where he accused them of being spies and then had The Phantom execute all of them."

Harry wasn't shocked that the Aurors were dead. But the fact that they had been so blatantly handed over to the Masters of Death was hard to hear.

He couldn't imagine being there, helpless to stop their inevitable deaths.

"You said you knew their names?"

"Their names….their faces." Ginny mused.

"So if we could get the file with their names in it..." An idea was forming inside Harry's head. It was something insane like one of the plans that they came up with while he was still in school. But this was something that he would need to execute on a massive scale.

"Harry?"

"We need that file."

"The only place you could get a copy of that file would be at the Ministry Archives inside The Tower."

"I'm aware." Harry said with a mischievous smile. Almost instantly, Ginny had a sudden look of worry on her face.

"You can't be serious."

"Sirius was my godfather." Harry replied snarkily. "But I am going to break into The Ministry of Magic for the third time in my life."

Running back to the tent, Harry grabbed his mirror and then pulled out his wand. Using the tip of his wand, he traced words on the face of the mirror, which appeared in a ghostly white color.

_The Army of the Phoenix_

_Forest of Dean_

_Midnight_

* * *

That night, Harry was shocked as people simply kept flooding to the area. Hermione had somehow managed to work out a system by which members of the Order and Dumbledore's Army could Apparate to within a few meters of Harry and Ginny's tent. From there, one of them could bring them inside the temporary wards they had set up so that they could attend the meeting.

Not surprisingly, Ron Weasley was one of the last members to arrive. As he did, he gave Harry a strange look.

"What?" Harry asked.

"The Army of the Phoenix?" Ron replied incredulously. "I thought you didn't want to name this group."

"Things change." Harry admitted. "Now get your ass inside the tent."

"What tent?" Ron asked as Harry pushed him inside the wards, revealing to him the fifty other people who were present and the aforementioned tent. "Oh, that tent. I remember this tent well!"

"Do you?" Harry asked skeptically.

"I remember it, but not well." Ron admitted before taking a seat towards the front. Harry and Ginny had conjured several benches to sit on, making it eerily similar to the first meeting of Dumbledore's Army. They were hidden away from the world in a place that no one even wanted to admit existed.

Once again, they were preparing to rebel against a Ministry that had failed them. Only this time, instead of one that was simply inept, they were facing a monster that was headed by someone with the grasps of a decades old organization hellbent on taking over the world and subjugating the Muggles to their every whim.

"Thank you everyone for coming." Harry started as he saw that everyone was there who he was expecting. "I suppose I owe everyone a bit of an explanation."

"I'd say so." came Hermione's voice from the back. Even though it was clear that she was kidding, the room read it as a source of tension arguably the two most famous people in the country and the leaders of this group. Thankfully, Hermione smiled back at him, a sign that she was simply adding her own dry sense of humor to the proceedings.

For the next hour, Harry regaled the team with the information that he had learned, both from Ginny and from Grindelwald himself. No one asked any questions and no one expressed any concerns. They didn't ask Harry why he had run and they didn't tell him he should turn himself in.

They simply listened.

Six years earlier, they would have slammed the door in Harry's face if he had shown up at their homes to personally invite them to this meeting.

But now? Now, they hung on Harry's every word. No one questioned him and no one suggested that he was crazy or misguided. After five years of leading from the front, Harry Potter was now the one thing he had never sought to become.

He was his generation's Albus Dumbledore. As he came to this realization, he was thankful that there were some differences. Once things settled down, he already knew that a select few were going to get the whole story, something that Dumbledore had never been willing to allow.

Certainly, Harry kept his secrets. No leader was able to tell everyone everything. But Harry was not alone in the secrets that he kept. He had friends and family, those who cared for him beyond his role as Headmaster or savior of the wizarding world.

They didn't care for Harry James Potter, the Boy Who Lived and Conquered.

They cared for Harry, their friend.

When he was done, no one moved. They simply waited for the next story or set of instructions. Finally, Ron spoke up.

"So what's the plan, mate?"

"The plan, Ron, is relatively simple." Harry said calmly, betraying the nerves inside him. "We are going to break into the Ministry of Magic and steal a secret file from the Archives."

For a moment, the room was silent. Then, almost as if cued, the room burst into laughter. Harry allowed them a moment to sit and wait before they all came to the sudden realization that he wasn't kidding.

It was Ernie MacMillan who spoke up.

"Are you mad? You've broken in there twice and each time, they've doubled security."

"Plus, this is a new facility with the most advanced protective enchantments known to man." Padma Patil added. "Not even Hermione could break through them, no offense."

"None taken." Hermione smirked as she made her way towards the front. "I still think he's a bit off his rocker for trying this."

"You know we need it." Harry commented. "This file will prove to the public that Lyman, Downey or Ogden ordered fifteen Aurors to their death."

"Merlin." Mrs. Weasley muttered.

"How is that going to help? It just proves that she sent them." Mr. Weasley asked.

"That's where Ginny comes in."

Suddenly, the attention of everyone in the room came to Ginny who had been standing off to the side, intentionally avoiding any sort of attention. For a moment, Harry was afraid she was going to freeze. She turned and looked to Harry for support who gave her the smallest of smiles and a nod.

Seeing that he had her support, she stepped forward and cleared her throat.

"Until about three weeks ago, I had spent the last fourteen months infiltrating the Masters of Death by joining them." Ginny said, her voice breaking as she tried to speak only barely loud enough for the room to hear her. "I witnessed their deaths."

As Harry expected, the room was suddenly unsettled by this news. Even among Harry's friends, there was much disagreement about Ginny. Some believed that she had been unjustly imprisoned for her actions at the Ministry five years earlier. Others thought that she should have been locked away forever as she was a danger to the rest of them.

Most simply thought that she was a broken woman who had lost her brother and the man she loved in a single night. Harry agreed. She had been unwilling or unable to confide in anyone after the Battle of Hogwarts. Without that outlet, she had bottled up every bit of anger and sorrow until something deep within her had broken.

Even if this version of Ginny was far more functional than when he had seen her last, she was permanently broken in a way that Harry wasn't certain could ever be overcome. Harry worried that when the day came to return to a normal life, she simply wouldn't be able.

"They were killed by Christopher Wise, the Head of the Department of Mysteries. He is also the leader of the Masters of Death."

Once again, the room started to vibrate with motion. Harry raised a hand to silence the room and allow Ginny to continue.

"I also know that Tiberius Ogden and Kathryn Downey were working for the Masters of Death. Samantha Lyman was also listening to advice from Wise himself."

"That's all well and good." Seamus said firmly as he stood. "But how can we trust you? Harry, how can you trust her after she's spent so much time with the Masters of Death?"

He knew this question was coming. Someone among the group would be skeptical enough and bold enough to ask him. Thankfully, he could always count on Seamus to ask the hard questions that no one was brave enough to ask of him.

It was one of the reasons that it had taken him so long to believe Harry about Voldemort's return in the beginning. But once he realized just how wrong he had been, Seamus had become as devoted a member of Dumbledore's Army as any.

Harry cleared his throat and turned away from Ginny to address Seamus.

"I don't." Harry replied honestly. Clearly, the room had not been expecting that answer. "That's one part of why we need this mission."

"I don't understand."

That voice was someone that Harry hadn't expected to hear. Looking to the back of the room, Harry saw his former student James Cresswell slowly rising from his seat.

"James? What in Merlin's name are you doing here?"

"You're going to fight, aren't you? I wanted to help."

Harry turned to Hermione, frustrated.

"How in the hell did he find out about this?" Harry growled.

"He's resourceful." Hermione smirked before answering truthfully. "He overheard Neville and I talking about it. At first, I wasn't going to allow him. But then I remembered how we felt when we were excluded from the Order's business."

Harry had to concede that point to Hermione. Harry had been wanting to fight ever since he had heard about the Order. James had been trained by Harry personally, a far better instructor than Harry had ever personally received at Hogwarts.

"What don't you understand?" Harry asked, deciding that he would allow James to stay.

"Why do you need this file and what does it have to do with Miss Weasley?"

"This file was ordered secret by a high ranking member of the Ministry that we know to be working for the Masters. If that file were leaked to the public, we could turn that information against the Masters. They would be forced to either reveal themselves or retreat. In either case, we push them into action in a way that we hadn't been able to before."

"What about Miss Weasley?" James asked softly.

"Ginny has a lot of information." Harry replied. "Right now, I believe her but I do not trust her. However, she has the names of each of the Aurors who were killed. If she publicly identifies them as a part of our campaign against the Masters, that will go a long way towards me trusting her intelligence."

James seemed to consider all of that information for a moment. Then, he shrugged and smiled before taking a seat.

"So what's the plan, Harry?" George asked from the front row.

"I am going to take a team into the Tower. At the same time, we're going to coordinate attacks on known Masters of Death."

"How?" Ginny asked.

"We're going to hit them like they hit us." Harry revealed. "We've been able to locate Christopher Wise's home."

"What are you going to do?" Ron questioned.

"We're going to burn it to the ground." Harry grimaced. "It's a bit more aggressive than I'd like but we need something that's going to get their attention. We'll hit the house at midnight. As soon as we've hit the house, the team at the Tower enters and makes its way to the Archives."

"How do you plan on entering? We going in big?" Ron said with a grin that would have made Fred proud.

"Sort of." Harry chuckled. "The team will enter without me."

"A wanted man isn't allowed inside the Ministry?" Minerva commented. "Quite sad."

"Indeed." Harry said with a genuine laugh. "They'll be inside the building when my dear friends decide that they wanted to create a distraction that made the Umbridge incident look like a child's birthday candle."

Almost instantly, Ron and George looked at each other with a look that could only be described as glee. Both turned back to Harry and nodded firmly.

"Make Fred proud." Harry ordered them, attempting to keep a straight face and yet failing miserably.

"To hell with that. We're going to make him jealous."

* * *

After the meeting was over, almost everyone wanted to stay behind and speak to Harry, even though it was nearly two in the morning. Unfortunately for them, Harry's work wasn't done.

When almost everyone had left, Hermione handed Harry a file with all of the information that she could find on Alexander Wilson's family. Thankfully, Hermione being as skilled as she was, she was able to find a link that anyone else would have missed. Unfortunately, her good work meant that Harry needed to have an exceedingly uncomfortable conversation.

He dismissed everyone except for the single person who he held behind. Once everyone else had left, Harry took her outside of the wards to the second set of barriers he had created when he had taken the Masters of Death prisoners.

For her part, Daphne Greengrass never flinched. For most, being taken deep into the woods by probably the most dangerous wizard in all of Europe would have caused them concern. But Daphne never once betrayed anything more than a casual demeanor, calmly walking alongside Harry as they silently made their way deeper into the woods.

"I have something that I want to talk to you about." Harry said once he was sure that no one else could hear them.

"Clearly." Daphne replied sarcastically. "What is it?"

"Your great-grandmother. How close to you are here?"

"Which great-grandmother?" Daphne asked, clearly confused as to where this conversation was going.

"Lucille Flaherty." Harry said as he withdrew the file from his cloak. "It's a good Irish name."

"That's because my mother's family is Irish."

"Really? That's what your family told you?"

"Yes." Daphne snapped before stopping in front of Harry, her eyes cold and precise. "Stop with the riddles, Harry. What the hell is this about?"

"Did you ever meet your great-grandfather?"

"No, he died years before I was born."

"Unfortunately for you, that's not true." Harry said as he laid the file out in front of her. "Your great-grandmother's name was never Flaherty. She was born Lucille Carpenter in New York City. Before the Second World War, she married Alexander Wilson, also form New York City. Alexander Wilson would later be tried and imprisoned for life in Alcatraz Prison for his actions as The Phantom with the Masters of Death."

The look on Daphne's face was hard to read at first. For a moment, she looked like Daphne always had, betraying little to no emotion. But as she realized what this meant for her and her family, a look of confusion spread over her face.

She took the file from Harry's hands and scanned it fervently, reading what she could and scanning the rest. As she read, she muttered to herself and shook her head, clearly not believing what she was reading.

"Just before the end of the war, your grandfather moved your great-grandmother, Lucille, to France. It was there that your great-grandmother gave birth to her only child, Joanne."

"My grandmother." Daphne whispered, her voice breaking gently.

"Yes, Daphne, your grandmother." Harry replied. "When Alexander was discovered with the uniform of the Phantom in his belongings, your great-grandmother fled to England under an assumed identity that she kept until she died. She died just two years before her only daughter married Christopher Greengrass, heir to one of the Sacred Twenty-Eight families in Great Britain."

"What are you saying, Harry?" Daphne asked, still looking at the documents in front of her.

"Your family is the only known descendants of Alexander Wilson. Your uncle never had any children."

"My aunt had children." Daphne corrected him.

"Yes, your aunt Ellen. She did have one child, born in December of 1973. But in January of '74, Ellen was arrested for the murder of her husband. She was found guilty and executed. Normally, the family would adopt the child but your family had disowned her. The child was renamed and adopted under that new name, which is not included in your family's records."

"Merlin." Daphne muttered.

"Do you know what she named the child?"

"No."

"Gellert." Harry growled. "I have to say that doesn't bode well for your case."

Even with all of this information, Daphne never moved as she continued to read the documents in front of her. When she was done, she closed the file and her eyes, a look of frustration on her face. Harry gave her no time to think as he stepped up to her.

"Do you work for the Masters of Death?" Harry growled, his face inches from hers.

"No." Daphne snapped, her silver eyes flashing open. "I didn't know any of this.! I was told that my mother's side of the family was Irish."

"Why should I believe you?"

"Because I've had every opportunity to turn you over to the Masters of Death or the Ministry and I haven't." Daphne said with a glare.

"How do I know that you aren't simply waiting for the time to be right? How do I know that I can trust you?"

"Because you _have_ trusted me." Daphne said softly, her voice earnest and tender. Her eyes no longer looked like they were attempt to burn a hole through Harry's skull. Instead, they were gentle and warm, a rarity on Daphne Greengrass' face. "To everyone else, I'm just a Slytherin. They can't look behind the house that I called home and see a person. They only see a _snake."_

"We haven't spent much time together outside of work. But I consider you a friend, Harry. I don't have many of those. Between being a Pureblood, a Slytherin and a Greengrass, I'm kept at arm's length from almost everyone for one reason or another. But not you. You've _trusted_ me, even when others whom I know you trust more urge you not to. The Masters of Death could tie me up, torture me or threaten to kill my family and I would never give you up."

"That's not true."

"It is." Daphne urged defiantly.

"It's not." Harry said with a smile as he approached Daphne. "You would choose your family over me and you would have every right."

"I don't have much of a family anymore." Daphne whispered. "Not since Malfoy."

"What about him?" Harry asked.

"When my parents found out that I had joined your team, they were fine with it until they learned like everyone else that we had discovered that Malfoy was the leader of the Death Eaters. They said that I should be working to get Malfoy back on his feet so that he could continue helping my family make money. I told them that I didn't care about blood or money. I cared about making sure that my family was safe, something that wouldn't have happened with the Death Eaters around. But they couldn't see that. So, I left home. I haven't been back since and I've only seen my sister once in the last five years."

"I'm sorry." Harry said earnestly as he placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. "I wish I could say that I understand what that's like but I...don't."

"You do-in a different way. Fighting like this: it requires sacrifice." For you, it's the privacy you wish you could have. For me, it's the presence of my family. But at the end of the day, if they're alive, then I'll take it."

It was so rare to talk to Daphne and have her truly reveal what she was thinking that Harry was stunned into silence for a few moments. Once Harry had collected himself, he moved the conversation forward.

"I don't believe that you are working for the Masters of Death." Harry confirmed. "But I needed to see what you would do when presented with this information. If you were working with the Masters of Death, I think you would have fought your way out. I'm glad that you didn't."

"Me too." Daphne said with a smile. "What are you going to do with that information?"

"I'm going to have Hermione put it back." Harry answered. "She got it from Percy and managed to put the pieces together. Only someone as skilled as Hermione will work it out and there aren't many people like that."

"Almost none."

"But, I do have one request for you."

"Anything."

"Before we go to the Ministry, you are going to give me up to Samantha Lyman."

Harry probably could have asked Daphne any other question and she wouldn't have been surprised. But it was clear from the look on her face that she was shocked that Harry would ask this of her.

"Let me explain: You are an Unspeakable. You are a Slytherin, a Pureblood and a Greengrass." Harry said, deliberately echoing her words from moments before. "Which means that when you go to Lyman with my location and say that you've been working with me, they will likely be surprised. But, people will **not** be surprised when you agree to give up my location for a place within her Ministry."

"Won't she see through that?" Daphne asked.

"I don't think so." Harry countered. "She, like so many others, still expects me to fight like a Gryffindor. That means she will expect an ambush or for the intelligence to be bad. So we'll give her exactly what she wants."

"How so?"

"You will inform her of my location. You will bring her here where I will have removed the wards from the tent, which will house a significant portion of the Army of the Phoenix. Once her party arrives, there will be a sizable battle here. Regardless of how many she brings, I will plant runes in the ground that will allow our people to Apparate away even if they attempt to place anti-Apparition wards in the area. During that battle, you will be struck by a Stunner from someone on our side, clearly marking you as an enemy."

"That seems a bit forward. How does that get us what we want?"

"As that happens, I will instruct Ron and George to begin their distraction. Once that happens, we'll be able to spread the Aurors so thin that we will be able to get in and out quickly with almost no chance at anyone losing their lives."

Daphne smirked proudly, clearly happy to be part of the plan but almost sad that she hadn't come up with the idea herself.

"And you don't think that she'll think that I was part of the plan. I can assume that you and Granger won't be here."

"But we will." Harry smirked before pulling a flask from his cloak. "Those that go into the Ministry will wear masks of the Masters of Death. Those that stay here will be transformed into copies of those that are going to the Ministry."

"That is an absurdly complicated plan." Daphne countered. "Why all the subterfuge?"

"Because I need that file. But, I also need someone at her table that she trusts. Ron and Percy are at the table but she doesn't tell them a damn thing."

Daphne considered all that Harry had told her. It was clear that she was uncomfortable with being the turncoat so soon after Harry had accused her of being just that. But in the end, it was clear that she was on board and a stern nod confirmed his suspicions.

"When do we start?"


	21. Chapter 21

"What day is it?" Harry asked to Hermione as they made their way towards the tent.

"It's Wednesday." Hermione replied.

"No, I mean what is the date?" Harry asked again as they entered the tent.

"December 21st. Why is this important?"

"Because I lost track of what day it is." Harry admitted. "I've been out here in the woods for either nine or ten days. It just hasn't seemed important to keep track of those kind of things."

"Why is it suddenly important now?"

"Christmas is coming." Harry said with a childish grin. "It's my favorite holiday." Hermione saw fit to slap him on the shoulder for his cheek.

The conversation stopped as they entered the main room of the tent. In the past, this room had seemed large with only six or seven people at the most. But with the raid on the Ministry finally planned to the best of their ability, everyone was on call.

In total, nearly fifty people now sat in the tent with people crammed into the room, the air stiff with the amount of people cohabiting the same space. Over the last hour, Ron had been in charge of organizing all of those that had been arriving into their teams.

In order not to alert suspicions, every person in the Army of the Order had been given a specific time and location where they were supposed to Apparate. They were sorted by distance, age and importance to the success of the mission so that those that were sorely needed had arrived nearly two hours earlier than the last group that had just arrived.

Once inside the tent, everyone had been sorted into one of four groups. The first group was the largest. They would remain at the campsite and distract Lyman and her Aurors from the attack happening on the Ministry. That group was split into three teams led by Padma, Gabrielle and Viktor.

The fact that Viktor had somehow managed to sneak back into the country despite a countywide transportation lockdown was one of the better stories going around the tent. Apparently, rather than flying a Muggle aeroplane like Harry and Ginny had done, Viktor simply Apparated to the French coast of the English Channel and then swam across.

The joys of being a world-class athlete apparently.

The second group was joining Ron and George in the second stage of their plan: the true distraction. Every time Harry had asked either of them what they were planning on doing, they simply smirked deviously. In the following moments, Harry and the rest of the Order would finally learn just what those two had planned.

The third group would lead the assault on Christopher Wise's home and was led by Fleur who had relished the opportunity to attack Wise personally. Apparently, in the years prior, he had made a crack about Fleur being only useful for "horizontal work." When Harry heard that, he was glad to give Fleur the opportunity to enact her revenge.

The final group was the smallest but the most essential: the strike team. Harry, Ginny and Hermione were all on the team without question. But when the question of who else to add came up, three names stuck out. All three worked at the Ministry, an essential part of their plan in case things went south (which they inevitably would). Kingsley Shacklebolt had been one of the best Aurors the Ministry had ever seen and still worked within the Ministry consulting with a variety of departments. He was the easiest of the three choices.

Unfortunately, Percy couldn't be selected. Simply put, he was too likely to be working with Harry after their interaction with the Minister at Hogwarts. Daphne was also unavailable due to her role in creating the first diversion.

This meant that the other two choices, Ernie MacMillan and Hannah Abbott, were far and away the best choices. Hannah had worked with Harry on the task force, giving her a distinct advantage over everyone else. Ernie had occasionally doubted Harry in the past. But much like Seamus, once he had come around, he had been an invaluable member of Dumbledore's Army.

As Harry looked around the room, he was glad to see that everyone was present and in place. However, he noticed that everyone looked nervous as well. He shouldn't have been surprised. While he was well versed in these kind of missions, he was one of a select few who was. For everyone else, they were getting ready to fight against Aurors, the defenders of peace for the Ministry. They would begin openly rebelling against the Ministry, something that not even Dumbledore had ever done.

"I know you're scared." Harry said firmly as he reached the front of the room. At the sound of his voice, everyone in the room perked up and focused their attention on him. Others could have said what he was about to say. They probably would have even said it better.

But that didn't matter now. Harry was their leader, the one they looked to when all hope seemed lost. Whatever he was about to say, they needed to hear it from him.

"I know you're scared." He repeated gently. "I am too. You would have to be crazy not to be scared. But I also know, deep in my heart, that we are doing the right thing. I know this may not be how Dumbledore would have gone about this. But I do know that Albus would have supported us. He would have been sitting right here with us, ready to stamp out The Masters of Death and the start of their reign of terror."

"This is the hand we've been dealt." Harry added weakly, raising his hands in submission. "The Masters of Death have been prepared for us for years. But they made one mistake. They didn't get rid of us when they had the chance. They decided to make a big show of attacking Hogsmeade, attacking Diagon Alley. The Masters of Death _destroyed_ Godric's Hallow. They destroyed the home that I never got the chance to have."

As he said those words, Harry realized just how much the destruction of Godric's Hollow hit him personally. Even though he had no intention to ever move into his parents' home, he had always taken solace in the fact that it was there, a monument to his parents' bravery. But The Masters of Death took that from him, they took it from everyone who may have used the Potters as an inspiration.

"But we're still here. They had their chance to take us down and they failed. Now, it's our turn. Now we get the chance to take them down. We won't be like them. I don't care about making a spectacle and I couldn't care less about winning the war of public opinion. Do you know what I want? I want The Masters of Death to burn for what they've done. I want to bury them under the weight of their transgressions and then incinerate what's left of them. I want The Masters of Death to be no more than a memory."

"And I believe we can do that. I believe that if we all work together, The Masters of Death will be no more. That starts today, right now. If you're ready to take the fight to them, then let's go make them wish they had killed us when they had the chance."

Looking around the room, Harry saw George and Ron hanging towards the back with giant grins on their face.

"So, you two, what do you have planned?"

Rather than answer, Ron instead reached into his bag and retrieved a small, black cube which he then threw on the floor. For a few seconds, nothing happened.

But in a split second, the room went black, an obvious sign of Peruvian Instant Darkness Powder. However, rather than stay dark, the area inside the tent was suddenly affected by a gentle breeze. But within just a few beats, the gentle breeze turned into a gale force wind.

While Harry couldn't see much, he could see people falling off benches and chairs as they were whipped around the room.

Then, as quickly as it happened, it stopped.

"What the hell was that?" Harry shouted as he picked himself up off the floor.

"That is your distraction, mate." George grinned. "For the last three days, our members that have been sneaking these boxes into their offices at various Ministry facilities. Once we've received word that the Minister has come to the camp, I will give the spell that activates these."

"How many are there and where are they located?" Hermione asked nervously.

"There are a dozen of them. Three are at the Tower itself including one in the Minister's office, four at the original Ministry, four at the Office of International Cooperating on Downing Street and one at the Daily Prophet office. They'll fire in a specific order, one at a time, over the course of roughly three minutes with the first one being the Minister's Office and the last the Daily Prophet."

"Making her think we're attacking one of those locations rather than the Auror Archives." Harry reasoned aloud.

"Exactly." George confirmed. "When the first one is fired, that will be your cue to enter the Ministry. If you can hit the security entrance at The Tower roughly thirty seconds after the first hit, you'll time it up so that it looks like you fire two of them as you enter the building."

"Making it truly look like an attack from the Masters of Death." Harry smirked. "This is really good work."

"Ron was the one who came up with it." George remarked, turning to his younger brother. "I just put the pieces together."

"It's something Fred would have done." Ron smiled. "Now, he'll just be disappointed that he's not the one to pull it off."

"So am I to a certain extent." Harry answered before turning to the rest of the group. "You know the plan and now you know how it will time up. Get to your locations. In thirty minutes, we strike."

* * *

Twenty-nine minutes later, Harry and the group that he was taking into the Ministry itself was dressed in the attire of the Masters of Death, complete with matching masks. Utilizing the space that Harry had held the Masters of Death captives, they watched from a distance as the camp readied for the attack that was sure to come.

Thankfully, Harry had reinforced the wards around the space that they were in, making them invisible to anyone outside the bubble.

"Do you think the disguises will work?" Hermione asked timidly.

"For as long as we need them." Harry replied. Rather than being dressed as themselves, those that stayed behind at the camp had taken a batch of Polyjuice Potion that made them all look like copies of far more important political prisoners. While it was certainly a risk that this could potentially expose them to more dangerous spells, it was a risk they had all agreed to take. Almost all of their plan was reliant on the fact that when Lyman came to the camp, she believed that Harry and the rest of the Army had been caught off guard.

But if Harry Potter and Hermione Granger weren't there, then she would instantly know something was amiss. So, Viktor Krum was now changed to look like Harry, Dennis Creevey was Ron and Padma Patil changed her appearance to match that of Hermione Granger.

The Golden Trio laid out for the Minister of Magic on a platter.

At that moment, the mirror in his pocket started to vibrate, the sign from Daphne that she was on her way to the camp with the Ministry and likely a large contingent of Aurors.

Harry certainly wasn't disappointed when Lyman did arrive complete with a platoon of nearly thirty Aurors. Harry's orders to those at the camp was simple: fight for a few minutes and then escape the wards and Apparate away. Since everyone was disguised, there would be no chance of further legal repercussions if they managed to escape.

Still, it made Harry nervous to see that many Aurors ready to surround the tent.

"We're ready whenever you are." George said as he stood next to him.

"Hold." Harry replied softly. Even though Harry knew there was no chance of being heard, he still couldn't help but whisper for fear of being overheard. "Not until they start their attack."

Slowly, the Aurors accompanying the Minister spread out, encircling the camp. Then, at a painstakingly slow pace, they made their way to the tent, getting closer and closer until they each stood within ten feet of the tent.

Out of nowhere, a spell came from the bowels of the tent, striking an Auror and throwing him backwards where he hit a tree and fell unconscious. For a brief second, no one moved. Then in unison, the Aurors realized what had just happened and attacked, leaving their perfectly spaced positions and sprinting for the entrance for the tent.

Even from this distance, Harry couldn't help but smile. Now, rather than fighting a spread out enemy, those inside the tent where fighting a group of thirty attempting to squeeze itself through the bottleneck of the tent's entrance. It was a kill box if ever Harry had seen one, set up expertly by Viktor with a single spell.

"Now." Harry ordered to George. George hastily withdrew a stopwatch from his pocket and pressed down the timer button. This stopwatch was attached to copies of it held by each member of George and Ron's team. Each was given a specifically assigned time to activate their box, timed exactly according to Ron and George's detailed plans.

"Let's go." Harry growled as he pulled the mask down over his face. It was a strange feeling to take on the identity of his enemy but it was necessary for the ruse to work. Harry was less concerned with the Ministry of Magic knowing who pulled this off. Certainly, Lyman would know instantly.

But the public wouldn't. They would see the attack as a blatant assault from the Masters of Death on the Ministry itself. If the Minister did nothing, she would look weak. If she tried to fight back, she would be forced to weaken the Masters' position.

In either case, it was a win for Harry.

Turning on the spot, Harry landed inside the front atrium with the rest of his crew behind him. They had already been given their one exceedingly simple instruction: follow Harry's lead without exception. So, none of them spoke when Harry Banished the front guards from their location, throwing them out of the booths just before blowing them up.

As they entered the Atrium, Harry took one look at the newly erected memorial in the center, an obelisk with the names of those that had died fighting Grindelwald and Voldemort. Much like the same sort of memorial at Hogwarts, Harry had been against it.

But he still knew how much it meant to some people. It also meant that Harry felt a rush of guilt as he leveled his wand at the giant stone structure.

" _CONFRINGO!"_

In a red flash, the structure was blown to pieces no bigger than a golf ball, a stump left where it used to be. Having done enough public damage, Harry picked up the pace, sprinting to a back staircase that would lead them down two levels to the Auror Archives. As they moved, Harry could see what George had meant.

The very second that Harry passed the remains of the obelisk, two of the cubes were simultaneously set off. It looked like Harry had somehow caused two rooms to turn into black twisters without ever having raised his wand. It had an immediate impact with an increase in the screaming that was already widespread, causing it to become almost dizzyingly loud inside the Atrium.

Harry and the rest of his team crossed the Atrium without any trouble and quickly sprinted down the stairs two levels to the central command office of the Aurors, the room adjacent to the Archives.

With all of the commotion inside the building, Harry was surprised to see a team of five Aurors remaining inside their offices as he entered the Auror Office. With a matter of moments, however, each was dispatched and lay unconscious on the floor.

The Masters of Death probably would have killed them but Harry certainly wasn't willing to take the ruse that far. Running the length of the office, Harry saw the door marked with the word ARCHIVES in simple gold writing on it. Once there, he yanked the door open and let the rest of his team enter before he close the door behind him.

Turning around, Harry was shocked by the size of the room. It must have held the records of every single case the Aurors had ever pursued over the course of the history of the Ministry. Much like the Hall of Prophecy, shelves ran from wall to wall and further back than Harry could see. Each shelf housed stacks and stacks of boxes and inside each box were files, golden in color and stuffed full of an uncountable pieces of parchment.

Thankfully, they wouldn't have to search the shelves for their query. Instead, it would come to them. This was due to Kingsley being a part of Harry's group and having proper clearance to request any file on record. All they needed was a series of search parameters.

"We don't have much time." Harry said as he looked down at his stopwatch. "The last cube is about to go off. We need to be out of here in five minutes. Kingsley, you know how to get what we're looking for?"

"I do." Kingsley confirmed.

"Then work your magic." Harry chuckled. Slowly, Kingsley stepped forward and cleared his throat. Then, he asked plainly and simply what he wanted.

"Kathryn Downey, Tiberius Ogden: undercover. August 2005."

At first, Harry thought that nothing had happened. Then, off in the distance, Harry watched as a single golden file came flying toward Kingsley. It flew the length of the room into Kingsley's hand.

However, the moment the file hit his hand, something happened. The room, which had been brightly lit and favored white and gold, turned a deep red, with the lights flashing a deep purple color.

Something was clearly wrong.

"Dammit." Kingsley muttered.

"What is it?" Harry asked urgently.

"The room has been placed under lockdown." Kingsley said as he looked back at the door. The door itself had disappeared, replaced with a translucent golden barrier than prevented them from leaving. "No one can leave while holding this file. They'll be torn apart by the barrier."

"Someone turned on us." Ernie muttered as he withdrew his wand. "The Aurors will be on us in seconds."

"Not quite that soon." Kingsley replied. "They'll have to take care of those cubes first."

"Unfortunately, we intentionally made them relatively easy to fix. Didn't want people to get hurt." Harry growled. Someone turning them in was unlikely. If they had been caught, it would have been much easier to simply intercept Harry's group in the Atrium.

There, they would have had Harry and his group dressed as members of the Masters of Death executing an attack on the Ministry of Magic. It wouldn't have mattered what any of them would have said.

They would have been tried and likely executed within weeks.

Instead, they waited until they were already deep inside the Archives. That meant something entirely different.

"They've been waiting for this." Harry realized.

"What do you mean?" Hannah asked.

"They knew that if we ever got this file and made it public, they were doomed. So they put a failsafe in place."

"The Archives go into lockdown the moment anyone unauthorized touches it." Hermione finished, a look of something that nearly resembled admiration on her face. "It's actually rather brilliant. All they had to do was wait for us to come. Then they would be able to trap us and ensure that the file never saw the light of day."

Harry went to the barrier that had replaced the door. It shimmered a bright gold but looked as if it couldn't decide if it wanted to be solid or liquid, occupying a gel-like state somewhere in the middle.

"Is there any way through this?" Harry asked to Hermione and Kingsley, the two most likely to know about this.

"None that I know of." Kingsley replied depressingly.

"Well, we'll be able to get through it just fine. We just can't take the file with us."

"That's not entirely true."

Everyone in the room turned to Hannah Abbott who stood with the file in her hand.

"What do you mean?" Harry asked.

"The file can leave the room. At least, I'm relatively sure that it can." Hannah said, her voice suddenly nervous. "But the person carrying the file won't."

"How do you know that?"

"Because I work in Ministry security." Hannah replied.

"But isn't this kind of security special to the Aurors?" Hermione asked. "I've never seen anything like this."

"It's not." Hannah answered. "It's special to important locations but not entirely unheard of. There are shields like this guarding a number of different locations within the Ministry. This is one of those."

"So why wouldn't it be guarded from taking the file out entirely?" Ernie asked. "It seems pretty stupid that you guys would allow that."

"It was assumed that once someone was trapped by the shield, they would give up. If you touch that shield, it hurts like hell. We didn't figure anyone would be willing to race through it with whatever they were trying to steal. Plus, that would assume they had help who was willing to let them do it."

"Which we are not." Harry interrupted her train of thought. "Hannah, under no circumstances are you going to attempt to go through that shield. I will not have you killing yourself for this."

"Do you believe that this information will put Ogden, Lyman and Downey away?"

"I do." Harry answered honestly. "But I am also certain there are other ways to do it."

"Have you found any?"

"Not yet but I won't stop looking." Harry replied, realizing he was pleading with her at this point. He knew what she was thinking and he hated it. He knew that she felt that she was expendable, that she could sacrifice herself for the cause. While Hannah had never been a close friend, he had always valued her loyalty to her friends.

It would be a tragedy to allow that to be wasted to get some information that Harry was certain he could get another way. But, as she had already stated, he hadn't found that yet and she had it in hand.

"Harry, if this group is caught by the Ministry, you all die. If you die, then the Masters of Death will have free reign over England. Once they've taken one country, they'll take two and then three. Either they'll take over the world or they'll destroy it in the process."

She was right. Harry knew that she was right. That didn't make him like it.

Harry let her go, his hands shaking as he did. He couldn't believe that there was no other way out. But as Harry had that thought, Harry heard the unmistakable footsteps of a large group of people coming their way, likely Aurors.

Harry stepped back from Hannah and sized her up. While Harry's hands were shaking, hers were calm. She looked firmly at Harry. She was confident in her decision, that much was clear.

But more importantly, she believed that it was the right thing to do. It was a sacrifice that she could make. It pained Harry that her choice was the only option that Harry could see.

"We're going to go through the barrier. Once we're through, do it."

"Gladly." Hannah said with a sad smile. "I've always believed in you, Harry. Take care of the Masters of Death and prove to everyone else why they should too."

"Understood." Harry replied as he embraced Hannah briefly. As they separated, Harry saw Aurors racing down the hall towards them. With a flick, Harry drew his wand and jumped through the barrier. It was a strange feeling but it was clearly designed to simply protect secrets and not entrap those inside. It was a strange loophole but it wasn't something that Harry had time to think of.

Once he was through, Hermione and Ernie followed with Kingsley close behind. Pointing at the Aurors, Harry gave his commands to the three of them, ordering them to hold position and defend him while Hannah did her duty.

Turning back to Hannah, he saw that she had moved closer to the barrier, the file clasped tightly in her hand.

"You don't have to do this, you know?" Harry said, reminding her one final time that she owed nothing to him or anyone else.

Her first response was a smile.

"Tell Neville I'm sorry." was her second.

"Neville?"

"We had been seeing her other for a few months. Nothing too serious. But I always wondered what my life would be like if I settled down with him."

"It's Neville. It would have been great."

"You're probably right." Hannah chuckled. "But instead I get to be in one of Harry Potter's stories."

"What?"

"They're going to write stories about this one day, Harry." Hannah laughed sadly, tears rolling down her face as the reality of what she was about to do finally hit her. "They're going to write stories about Harry Potter, The Master of Death. When they do, there's going to be a chapter on the sacrifice of Hannah Abbot and how she helped him take them down. I'll be a hero."

"You are a hero, Hannah, without question."

"Good." Hannah said firmly as she readied herself. Finally, she took a deep breath and stared at the floor in preparation. When she looked up, her eyes met Harry's. "Take them down, Harry. That's an order."

In response, Harry did the only thing he could think of: he drew his body straight and saluted like he was a member of the Muggle military.

"Yes, ma'am."

"See you on the other side."

Her final words spoken, Hannah sprinted forward, the file outstretched in front of her as her body hit the barrier. Instantly, an invisible energy seemed to course through Hannah's body, causing her to cry out in unimaginable pain.

Still, she didn't retreat and didn't give up. Instead, she kept pushing forward, the file getting closer and closer to Harry. But with each step she took, a toll was taken. As she pressed onward, her skin started to peel away, showing the veins and muscle under her skin.

No blood fell to the floor. It instead dematerialized in seconds, disappearing forever before it fell even a few inches. The sound of her cry grew with every bit of forward progress she made until there wasn't even a sound that came with it. Instead, it was replaced by a silent sob.

As the muscle and veins started to disappear, Harry thought for a moment that she had given up as she rocked backwards. But as everything but the bone of her face faded into nothing, Harry realized that she was already gone, the choice taken from her. Instead, what little control she did have left threw her body forward in one final push.

When she hit the barrier, what was left of her body deteriorated into nothing but dust and ash like the remnants of a volcano. When that happened, the file containing the information they required fell to the floor, safely outside the confines of the Archives.

All it had taken was the torture and sacrifice of Hannah Abbott, one of the bravest people he had ever known.

It was only too bad he didn't know her any better than he did.

Unfortunately for all of them, it had taken too long for Hannah to get through the barrier as they were now entirely surrounded by Aurors with two recognizable faces at the front.

"Minister, Mr. Wise," Harry addressed the leaders of the Masters of Death. "What can I do for you?"

Sarcasm was clearly not what they expected to get from Harry in this moment. Harry had always been exceptional at disarming his opponents.

Sometimes he even used his wand.

"Put that file down, Potter." Wise ordered with his wand aimed at Harry. "Put it down and step forward so that we can serve you the punishment you so richly deserve."

"You give the orders around here now, do you?" Harry taunted before looking at Lyman. "Now we get to see who is really in charge, don't we?"

"Christopher is in charge of the task force whose sole operational guidance is to bring you in. I am allowing him to operate under that directive."

"Or you're allowing the leader of The Masters of Death to take control of the Ministry once and for all."

Harry noticed the effect these words had on the Aurors surrounding them. Some of them didn't move, wands at the ready to fire if called upon. Some looked confused but hadn't moved so much as relaxed.

But a fair number of them had looked at Wise in confusion or outright lowered their wands. Clearly, some had their misgivings of Wise, trusted Harry or some combination of both.

A fact that Harry was more than willing to take advantage of.

"Aurors, you should be arresting that man. He is the head of the Masters of Death. He orchestrated the murder of Amos Diggory and the kidnapping of Aberforth Dumbledore. He's also been manipulating the Minister of Magic from the beginning."

Wise's jaw immediately tensed up.

"This man has been fighting against the Ministry for years. Do you see how he is dressed? Clearly, he is a member of the Masters of Death, possibly even their leader himself. Now, he comes and steals from the Auror Archives. And he dares call me a traitor!?"

Unfortunately, Harry could see Wise's point and so could many of the Aurors. Those that looked unconvinced moments earlier now seemed certain of Harry's guilt and raised their wands once more, ready to attack at Wise's command.

Which meant that Harry needed a plan to get out of there. Hannah had been right. If they were captured, they were going to be killed without a doubt. Unfortunately, a group of nearly twenty Aurors stood between Harry's group and the exit.

That meant that a new exit was needed. Looking to his left and right, Harry saw nothing and that meant that there was only one direction to go.

Up.

Before Wise, Lyman or any of the Aurors could react, Harry raised his wand at the ceiling.

" _Reducto!"_

The spell fired from Harry's wand and hit the ceiling above them, turning a nearly twenty foot hole into dust which rained upon the Aurors. As they covered their heads, Harry leveled his wand and fired again.

" _Depulso Maxima!"_

A huge wave of magical energy blasted forward, hitting the entirety of Wise's team, throwing them nearly twenty yards backwards through the rows of the office cubicles behind them. With that amount of time, Harry had given them the space they would need to escape.

Running to the hole, Harry raised his wand straight up and fired another Reductor Curse, putting a hole in the floor two levels above them where they needed to escape. As he did, Hermione and Ginny stepped forward and levitated themselves to the ground floor. Kingsley and Ernie joined Harry at the base of the hole, readying their wands as Wise and the Aurors gathered made their way to their feet.

The very moment they did, a volley of curses, hexes and charms came flying from the group of nearly twenty that even Harry struggled with stopping. Thankfully, with assistance from Ernie and Kingsley, they were able to keep any of the spells from getting through to any of them, although there were certainly some close calls.

Unfortunately, defending the spells meant that they were unable to escape for fear of turning their backs and getting hit.

Thankfully, accompanying Harry had been Hermione Granger, who was known for occasionally thinking on her feet. As Harry, Ernie and Kingsley fought back against the Aurors, they suddenly found their feet no longer on the ground. Looking up momentarily, Harry saw that Hermione and Ginny were levitating the trio to the top of the hole where they were standing, a rather ingenious idea.

Unfortunately, it was not meant to last as a second group of Aurors began an assault on Hermione and Ginny, forcing them to focus on defending themselves instead of levitating Harry's team. As he felt their magic fade away, Harry quickly and silently cast a Levitation Charm that would continue to take the three of them up, although the pace was slower due to the fact that Harry alone was casting what Hermione and Ginny had been attempting to do together.

Looking down, Harry saw that Wise and his Aurors had congregated beneath them, firing at a prodigious rate that was causing problems with the shields that Kingsley and Ernie were attempting to keep up. The closer the three of them got to the top, the more damage they were starting to take.

First, it was Ernie who was hit with a Cutting Curse that slashed across his chest, causing blood to splash down onto the Aurors below. Somehow, he still managed to fight on, defending almost as well as before.

It was Harry that took the next curse, a Bludgeoning Hex that hit Harry in the right leg. While it didn't seem to be powerful enough to do any permanent damage, it certainly hurt like hell.

As the trio made it to the top, Kingsley stopped a Cutting Curse aimed at Harry from an Auror in the group that had been attacking Hermione and Ginny. Unfortunately, that left the former Minister of Magic open and Christopher Wise took the opportunity.

" _Avada Kedavra!"_

There was nothing that could be done. If Harry released his charm to defend Kingsley, all three of them would drop two floors onto a pile of Aurors and Masters of Death waiting to kill them. Knowing that there was nothing he could do didn't seem to help, however, as he watched the green blast fly towards Kingsley in slow motion until it struck him in the chest.

In the split second before the spell made contact, Kingsley looked at Harry so that at the very moment of his death, Harry was able to see the life drain from his eyes.

He didn't move. Instead, he felt a pair of arms slid under his and drag him onto solid ground just as Kingsley's body fell limp. In real time, it took only a second for his lifeless body to come crashing back down onto the floor where Wise and his minions stood.

But that second may have been one of the longest in Harry's life. Since his fifth year, Kingsley Shacklebolt had been a constant. He had never been a confidant of Harry's or a close personal friend. In fact, there had been times over his life that he felt he barely knew the former Minister of Magic.

But there had been no question where Kingsley's loyalties lie. Much like Harry, he had been, in Scrimgeour's words, " _Dumbledore's man through and through."_ It was the truth. There had been no more dedicated member of the Order of the Phoenix. It was why he had been selected as Minister of Magic without a vote in the first place. Of all those who were fair and true, Kingsley Shacklebolt was the fairest and truest of them all.

But as his body fell with a deafening crack against the bodies and hard floor below, Harry knew the truth.

Kingsley Shacklebolt was dead. Like Hannah,, he had sacrificed himself for Harry, saving him from a simple spell that Harry would like have survived. That action meant that he had left himself open to attack.

"Harry!"

Hermione's voice knocked Harry out of his stupor. Turning to her, it was clear that she had been trying to get his attention for a few seconds as Ernie and Ginny did their best to hold off the Aurors that were threatening to surround them.

At that moment, Harry felt something that he hadn't felt in years: rage. Sure, he had been angry. But most of his anger over the years since the Battle of Hogwarts had been fear or frustration that he could only express as anger. But this was pure and simple unadulterated rage. Rage at the Masters of Death, at Wise and Lyman.

But it was mostly a rage, fueled heavily by grief, directed at Hannah and Kingsley. They had both found his life to be more important than theirs and had given their lives to save his. Over the years, this had become somewhat of a trend for Harry but it had never been so explicit as it had in this moment.

And in a moment of rage, Harry did something he had done only once before: he attacked in anger. But there was a difference between his attempts to end Snape's life after he had murdered Dumbledore and now.

Now, Harry was one of the most talented wizards in the world with years of experience and training to become arguably the most dangerous duelist in the world.

It wouldn't matter because Harry had no time or patience to duel with these Aurors, even as a group. Instead, Harry simply drew his wand and spun it in a single circle over his head. On the second circle, the end of Harry's wand lit up and on the third, a wave of heat washed over the room followed by a wall for fire.

For years, Harry had searched for the spell that would replicate what Albus Dumbledore had performed in the Horcrux Cave. It had only been within the last year and searching through the Restricted Section at Hogwarts had Harry finally found the Firestorm Curse.

A wall of heat and fire that was completely impenetrable and unable to be put out by any spell or liquid source. While it was less damaging that Fiendfyre, the castor could control the curse, moving it with the movements of their wand at will.

If anyone ever wanted proof that Harry Potter was just as powerful as Albus Dumbledore, this was your proof. The walls of fire stood nearly fifteen feet tall and several feet thick. But unlike the slow rotation of Dumbledore's storm, Harry's walls formed a cyclone of fire that he was able to whip around the room, attacking each and every Auror in the room until they all lay on the floor, motionless. Upon checking them, they were not dead but almost all of them had some rather painful looking burns that would take many days to recover from, even with magical assistance.

"Let's go, Harry." Hermione muttered as Harry released the spell. "There's no more damage you can do here."

It was clear that she was upset with him. As Harry finally regained his composure and looked around the room, he could see why. Ten bodies lie still. Even if they weren't dead, they were likely innocent in Wise's machinations, a blunt instrument for him to use.

And Harry had attacked them without even thinking about that. He could have killed them. In fact, it had taken a deliberate effort on Harry's part to keep from killing them. But in his rage, Harry had taken the easy way out. Instead of skill and coordination, he used blunt power and destruction to stop an enemy that wasn't even aware of the game they were playing.

"Fuck." Harry whispered to himself as he chased after Hermione, who was leading the way to the exit. Once they were clear of the building, they vanished into the night, leaving the wizarding world to wonder just who the good guys were in this fight.


	22. Chapter 22

While the mission had been a success, there had been great losses. The deaths of Hannah Abbot and Kingsley Shacklebolt weighed heavily on Harry as did his rash decision to unleash the full might of his abilities on innocent Aurors.

After they had returned from the Ministry, Harry had organized the three teams to separate for a period of a few hours before they all met at their rendezvous point: Shell Cottage. It was widely known as a safe place for Harry so it wasn't a place they could stay long but it would work for the time being.

Once they had returned, Harry had left them all, going to sit on the beach and watch as the sun set. During that time, Harry thought about a number of different things. In the end, none of these thoughts mattered much. Everything that Harry thought came back to his lack of discretion at the Ministry. How could he have been so foolish? Not only did he injure people who were likely just doing their jobs, but now the Ministry had a perfect reason to turn Harry into the fugitive they had always wanted him to be. There were eye witnesses who had watched as Harry attacked the Head of the Department of Mysteries and the Minister of Magic. Sure, he had a mask on but they had referred to him by name and Harry had never refuted the claim. Harry had made it too easy for them to slander him, although at the moment, Harry wasn't entirely sure if it would be slander at all.

The sun was setting when the first person finally approached him.

"The file will be good for us." Hermione said as she fell onto the sand next to him.

"What does it say?" Harry croaked, his voice thick due to lack of use.

"Downey ordered the Aurors undercover. Ogden signed off on it."

"Is Lyman in there?"

"Not exactly." Hermione replied.

"What does that mean?"

"Diggory did order the file secret." Hermione winced as Harry cursed under his breath when he heard this. "However, it's not the worst thing in the world."

"There's good news?"

"The file was ordered secret less than twenty-four hours before Diggory was killed by the Masters of Death."

Could they really have been that foolish? Did they think that just seeing Diggory's name would stop them without any further research into it?

"Why would they have been so careless?"

"Because they never expected anyone to see this file." Hermione reasoned.

"This is why Diggory pardoned Ginny." Harry realized suddenly. "I think he knew that he had been duped."

"Then why didn't he say anything?" Hermione asked.

"He did." Harry remembered. " _I think it's awfully convenient that Samantha Lyman will be Minister of Magic in less than a day._ I didn't see it then because I was so focused on Diggory in front of me. Diggory knew that he had been betrayed."

"That's great." Hermione said sarcastically. "But it doesn't give us much more than Diggory's instinct. There's no proof."

"There doesn't have to be." Harry explained. "This isn't going to be the court of law, Hermione. This is going to be the media. They won't care if we're able to draw a line directly from Lyman to the file but if we can lead them in that direction, they'll run with it."

"I don't like it." Hermione admitted.

"I don't either. I don't like having to play dirty but if it gets us a lift we need, I'm not going to turn it down."

"I suppose." Hermione said as they both fell quiet. For the next few minutes, neither person spoke. Instead, they simply sat in silence and listened to the waves rolling in. It was freezing out near the water this late at night in mid-December but neither of them seemed to notice. They were too preoccupied with what was going on inside their heads to notice the ice beginning to freeze on the shore as the temperature dropped.

"What were you thinking?" Hermione finally asked timidly.

"About what?"

"Using that spell at the Ministry." Hermione clarified. "It was one of the most powerful things I've ever witnessed and…"

"And I used it on Aurors who were just following orders." Harry growled, finishing Hermione's sentence. "I'm aware."

"Why would you do that?"

"I don't know."

"How can you not know, Harry!?" Hermione finally yelled, clearly trying to understand Harry and failing. "You can't cast a spell like that without intent."

"I know. I absolutely intended to use that spell." Harry said darkly, turning to face Hermione whose face was washed with horror. "I didn't mean to kill anyone. But we were surrounded with the numbers rapidly turning in their favor. We needed something that would get us out of there as quickly as possible."

"I understand that, Harry, but the Firestorm? There are about half a dozen ways I could have thought of to create some sort of distraction that would have given us the time to escape."

"But would it have guaranteed that we would have all made it out?" Harry asked.

"Of course not. There's no method that would."

"Mine did." Harry countered. "I've sat here all night thinking about what I did. I have tried to come up with another way that would have assured that we got everyone out and just like you, I couldn't come up with anything other that what I did."

"Harry, we have to accept casualties in this."

"You think I haven't already done that?" Harry roared angrily. "You think I haven't accepted that Hannah and Kingsley sacrificed themselves for me, for us. I am well aware of that fact, Hermione, and I don't need you or anyone else telling me otherwise. But there is a limit to how many people I am willing to accept losing and two was already pushing it."

"What are you saying?" Hermione asked.

"I'm saying that if I was given the same situation…."

"You would do the same thing you did today." Hermione replied, the disappointment clear in her face.

"I'm not Dumbledore." Harry stated intensely. "Of all the things that I disagree with Dumbledore, his complete inability to confront the Death Eaters head-on is the thing that bothers me the most. I absolutely refuse to sit back and allow The Masters of Death to do to us what the Death Eaters did. If that means that we have to get our hands dirty, then so be it. That means that there are some people that are likely going to be caught in the crossfire. I'm not going to use them and I'm certainly not going to go out of my way to kill them but if they are in between me and stopping the Masters of Death, then they are going down. Hard."

"They couldn't have known it was you, Harry. You were dressed as a Master of Death!"

"All the better." Harry countered. "A Master of Death attacks a dozen Aurors. Even if they think that I'm a Master of Death for the time being, when the truth is revealed, they'll be more willing to turn on anyone who is a Master of Death."

Hermione was clearly bothered by Harry's line of thinking. Admittedly, it was far more extreme than Harry's typical methodology but the time for half measures was over. Now that they had the information that would link Downey and Ogden to the Masters of Death, they needed to move and as quickly as possible.

"Do you think we should take out Lyman?" Harry asked.

"No." Hermione replied. "I know why you would want to do that but we need to remove her legitimately. That means capturing Wise and forcing him to turn on her."

"What if he doesn't? What if he clams up? We throw him in Azkaban and the Masters of Death replace him. Then what?"

"Then we deal with that bridge when we cross it." Hermione said as she stood up. "Listen to me, Harry. I don't love the path you're taking but I understand that this is the cost of fighting a group like the Masters of Death. I will support you if you think that what you did the Ministry was justified, even if I don't agree. But if you sanction a mission to go after Lyman, I will not support you. I will leave you and everyone else and figure out some other way to take care of the Masters of Death. Do you understand me?"

It was the most stark statement that Hermione had ever made to Harry. Certainly they had disagreed on a variety of things over the years but never before had Hermione threatened to leave him over it. Obviously, she believed that Harry was getting close to crossing a line that she didn't want to be associated with.

She was right, of course. What was the point of winning a war if you were embarrassed by how you won it?

"Understood." Harry nodded in agreement.

"Are you coming in?"

"In a moment."

"Well, I'm going to bed." Hermione replied. "Don't stay out too late. You'll freeze to death."

"Wouldn't that be embarrassing? The Man Who Lived, killed by frostbite."

"Life is not without irony, Harry. I wouldn't tempt it."

* * *

The next morning, Harry began the process by which he believed they would reveal the Masters of Death. First, he had Hermione move their main camp to the hills outside Ottery St. Catchpole, warding it in a similar way to their previous site in the Forest of Dean. After that, they were ordered to begin 'round the clock surveillance of Tiberius Ogden.

They would follow him from his home to the Ministry and back each day until they were able to find some sort of damning evidence on him. As he left his home each morning, a specialized team organized and lead by Hermione would enter his home and search it from top to bottom, looking for anything that could highlight his connection to the Masters of Death. At the same time, a group from the Army of the Order would shadow him throughout his day at the Ministry.

While all of this was going on, another group led by Ron was organizing the training of the Army of the Order into an actual army. Someday sooner rather than later, Harry expected there to be a true face to face battle between The Army of the Order and The Masters of Death. When that day came, the training they had done as member of Dumbledore's Army or The Order of the Phoenix would do them some good but nothing like the training the Masters of Death would receive as members of a single fighting unit. The training they were currently receiving would be invaluable to ensure their survival.

Finally, there was Harry. His task for the day would be simple. He was to return to Hogwarts and track the movements of Kathryn Downey. Harry had little doubt that she remained somewhere in the mountains. As an Auror, Kathryn's fighting style was relatively unique, utilizing a specific blend of Charms and Transfiguration to keep her foes off balance instead of the usual fair of Stunners favored by most Aurors. A style that particular would be impossible to hide forever. The fact that no one had mentioned a Master of Death fighting with that specific skillset meant that if she had truly been a member of the Masters of Death, she had yet to return to them.

If that was true, then the mountains of Hogwarts were her most likely hiding place. Even with her skill level, it would have taken her a rather long time analyzing the wards around Hogwarts before she could enter the castle without alerting him to her presence. This meant that she had possibly been staying in the area for months prior to the Masters' machinations coming to light.

All of this lead Harry to believe that there was some sort of safe house in the area beyond Hogsmeade where she had disappeared. In order to find it, Harry had returned to one of the most dangerous areas in the country for someone of his criminal prestige: Hogwarts itself. Early in the morning, before the sun had even begun to peak over the Forest, Harry had Apparated to a point within the Forbidden Forest before slowly making his way towards the castle, being careful to keep an eye out for any guards.

Reaching the edge of the woods at nearly daybreak, Harry was able to look out over the grounds for the first time since his forcible exit at the hands of the Minister of Magic. The castle itself looked no different. The grounds, now covered with a thin layer of snow, were a different matter. Instead of the blank hills that he was accustomed to seeing, there were now at least a dozen tents, much like the ones that had been used during the Triwizard Tournament, scattered about the grounds, encircling the castle. The message was clear to Harry.

The Masters of Death had been unable to enter the castle but they had managed to break through the wards on the grounds. If they couldn't enter it, no one would.

Thankfully, Harry had no desire to enter the castle at the moment. Instead of moving towards the castle, he continue to skim the edge of the woods, using the trees for cover so that he could pass quickly and silently. Once Harry reached the edge of the woods, he took out his Invisibility Cloak and moved silently through the town, careful to ensure that no one saw him covering up his tracks as he moved.

The timing of Harry's arrival made all of this relatively easy and in less than an hour, Harry moved from his spot at the edge of the woods through the hamlet of Hogsmeade and onto the path leading beyond the town.

Years earlier, Harry had been dumbfounded when he had watched Dumbledore sense the magic around them that Voldemort had left in the Horcrux Cave. Then, Dumbledore had said that magic left a distinct mark on its environment. With years of study and practice, Harry now knew exactly what his previous Headmaster had meant.

In her escape from the castle, Downey had left behind some fairly identifiable markers even weeks later. The first was evidence of a rather powerful ward that had since been taken down. It would have made it nearly impossible to follow during her escape without going around the path, a treacherous idea considering the slope around them.

Unfortunately for Downey, without some sort of rune to anchor the ward, it had dissipated, meaning that Harry could follow the trace of the ward further up into the mountains.

About an hour later, however, the trail effectively disappeared, leaving Harry wondering where exactly Downey had disappeared. That's when Harry noticed something completely out of the ordinary. The area around Harry was overgrown and looked as if it had hardly been touched with one exception.

Sitting at the end of the path was a single stone. Unlike the rest of the area around it, it appeared to be new. Nothing grew over it and the fact that is was hidden behind a bush was something that immediately led Harry to become suspicious of it.

After a few checks and diagnosis spells, Harry was able to tell what it was: a powerful Illusion Stone. Exceedingly rare, Illusion Stones were designed to create powerful images that could trick even the most detailed minds into believing the area around them was authentic. It was done with a combination of a few spells but the two most important were the Illusion itself and then a basic compulsion charm that would convince a person to believe what they were seeing without question.

The problem for Downey was that Harry had been looking for things that were out of the ordinary. Even still, once he was aware of what the stone was, he could feel that pull of it, trying to get him to ignore what he knew to be untrue. With a few simple cancellations, Harry was able to push through the illusion and see that the trail had not ended. Instead, it winded its way further up the mountain until roughly three hours after he had landed in the Forbidden Forest, he found where Kathryn Downey had been hiding.

At the very top of the mountain stood a small cabin. Wand drawn, Harry approached the structure, his eyes taking in every detail. The cabin stood apart from the woods around it, clearly intended to ensure that no one could sneak up on the structure. Checking as he approached, Harry was able to sense a series of wards designed for a single purpose: keeping Harry or any of his allies out.

But as he looked around, Harry couldn't see a runestone. Without a rune to anchor the wards into, they would become unstable once you started to remove them. Having a rune anchor meant that the wards would be stronger but it also meant that they would have been easier to detect from a distance. Now, Harry could only detect the wards because of how close to them he was. It was obvious that they had chosen distrection over power, hoping that Harry would never find this place.

Unfortunately for them, he had and now it was his turn to wreak some havoc for once. Typically, in a situation like this, Harry favored a stealthy approach. He would take down each ward one by one until they were all down and then enter the house silently.

But with the deaths of Kingsley and Hannah the day before, Harry wasn't in the mood for stealth. He wanted destruction and terror. So, with a quick wave of his wand, Harry removed the bottom layer of the wards.

Sure enough, the moment he did so, the rest of the wards became visible, which meant only one thing.

They were coming down. After freezing for a moment, the second layer came crashing to the ground, striking the house and causing the windows to shatter. The next layer put a rather large hole in the roof as the fourth layer causing the door to blow out and land in the yard at Harry's feet.

It was only with the fifth layer that Harry saw movement inside the house. Just as it hit the house, causing it to finally rock on its foundation and collapse, Kathryn Downey dove out of the front door, a wave of ash, smoke and debris following her as the house became simply a pile of rubble.

With a quick flick of his wand, Harry disarmed Downey, her wand flying through the air into Harry's hand.

"What the hell!?" Downey shouted as she watched her wand fly towards Harry. "What are you doing?"

"I could ask the same of you." Harry growled. "Spying on Hogwarts, huh? I don't see why you need to do that anymore considering you have the grounds."

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Downey scoffed as she got to her feet. Instantly, Harry hit her with a Banishing Charm that threw her to the ground. With a rough growl, she tried to get on her feet before Harry placed a Body Bind on her, freezing her in place.

"Are you insane, Potter!?" she barked, her head the only part of her body that was able to move. "Release me now!"

Instead, Harry approached her, getting to within inches of her face. When he spoke, the venom in his voice was thick, spit flying from his lips as he spoke in percussive, clipped phrases.

"You're lucky." Harry barked. "Considering my day, I should have just killed you."

"Why would you do that?"

"No one would have known." Harry added, ignoring her previous question. "I could have said that I didn't find you. You were nowhere to be seen. But I need information from you."

"Information? What information?"

"How did you get into Hogwarts, Kathryn?"

"I'm the Head of the Aurors-"

"You used to be the Head Auror." Harry corrected her. "That doesn't matter. Even I couldn't get into the school without the Headmaster knowing and I specialize in ward breaking."

"Clearly." Downey replied deadpanned. "Listen, I know you're Harry Potter and all but that doesn't mean you have superpowers. I got in by shutting down some of the wards and then slipping in while they were down."

"Lies." Harry growled.

"It's possible and you know it. I found the runestone and used it to get through."

"Not possible." Harry countered.

"I don't care if you think it's possible or not but I shut down that runestone."

"That's fine." Harry replied with a smirk. "I believe you shut down that runestone for a few seconds but what about the other three?"

Downey's face was instantly confused, betraying a lack of information that Harry knew she didn't have.

"Excuse me?" she whispered.

"There are seven layers to the wards at Hogwarts. The outer layer is connected to the rune stone at the edge of the wards. But the inner two layers are connected to one at the base of Gryffindor Tower. The next two are tied to a stone under Hagrid's old hut. The last two are anchored to a runestone in the Black Lake, which makes it effectively impossible to reach since it is inside the Mermaid City."

"You have four runestones? Why?"

"Because Hogwarts is always a target. The only successful attack on Hogwarts was Voldemort's and that was because prior to the attack, he had controlled the school and removed the wards. The moment he was dead and we had taken over the school, McGonagall restored them."

"Oh." Clearly, she was trapped.

"So, you had help from someone at Hogwarts." Harry said, sick with the thought that someone on his staff would help her get into the castle. "Who was it?"

Finally, Kathryn's facade broke as her face twisted into an angry grin.

"Do you think I'm going to tell you anything? The Masters of Death have been planning to take you down for years. You don't stand a chance."

"I didn't stand a chance against Voldemort and I was seventeen years old. These are much better odds."

"Voldemort was an idiot." Downey growled menacingly. "He was followed by psychopaths and ideologues who worshipped him. This is a political movement, Potter. These people are devoted to changing the world, not ruling it. They're smart, dedicated and willing to sacrifice everything to ensure their place in the world."

"So you aren't a member?" Harry said in a moment of realization as things became clear.

"What makes you think that?"

"The way you talk about them. Like an outsider." Harry replied. "That's not to say that you don't respect them. Maybe you're some sort of initiate."

"I was the Head of the Aurors, Potter. If anyone was past being an initiate at that point, it was me."

"So you were tricked, coerced?" Harry asked. He was legitimately interested. Prior to her apparent betrayal, Kathryn Downey had been one of his closest allies at the Ministry of Magic due to the time they had spent as teacher and pupil at the Auror Academy. Kathryn had been his dueling instructor, treating him much like Harry had treated the students in his dueling class: as equals. In eighteen months, they went from teacher-student to close friends.

It probably wasn't a coincidence that she was in India on a long term undercover mission when Harry had finally gone off the deep end.

She hadn't returned until six months into Harry's time at Hogwarts. It had been Harry who had convinced her over several late night talks to work for Hermione's campaign. Had she intentionally given them bad information? Had she genuinely been interested in Hermione becoming the Minister of Magic?

"Neither." Downey grimaced.

"So if you don't want to join the Masters of Death and you weren't tricked or coerced into working for them, then what in the hell are you doing!?" Harry finally screamed, losing all semblance of composure.

"I didn't know I was working for them at first." Downey explained, her eyes not meeting Harry's. "I was approached by an organization. Their "representative" went on and on about how they were going to change the world and retool the Ministry. It sounded wonderful."

"You didn't think it was too good to be true?"

"Of course." Downey responded scathingly. "So I asked for proof."

"What kind of proof?"

"I told them that I wanted to start a program with Azkaban prisoners, using them for missions we wouldn't normally send Aurors on."

Harry instantly knew what she was talking about.

"They got Ginny Weasley out."

Downey nodded. "Hermione and I had been talking about it for months but Diggory was blocking our every move. Then, one day, I had Weasley's file on my desk and Hermione was in my office telling me that she would be handling Ginny Weasley."

"Wise?"

"Christopher Wise? What about him?" Downey asked in confusion. It was clear to Harry that she didn't know much about the actual structure of the Masters of Death from that answer alone.

At this point, it was clear that Kathryn Downey had in fact been working for the Masters of Death, albeit in a very discrete manner. She certainly wasn't a central member of their plans. However, there was still on matter at hand that needed to be addressed.

"So, you got involved to make things better." Harry said as he started to pace in front of Downey. "I assume you worked for Hermione's campaign on their orders."

"They didn't trust her or you."

"And that didn't worry you, Kathryn?" Harry growled. "You've known me for almost ten years! The fact that they didn't trust me or my girlfriend, who also helped me save the world, didn't trigger anything deep inside that suggested that you might be working for the wrong side!?"

"You may have saved the world, Harry, but you also disappeared for a year in a drunken stupor. Even after five years at Hogwarts, there are still some in the Ministry, respectable people, who don't trust you. I imagine there are some inside your own people that aren't sure if they trust you entirely. You fell off the wagon and you got up by letting Ginny Weasley murder Draco Malfoy inside the Ministry!"

"I didn't let her do anything!" Harry snapped back. "She is an adult and perfectly capable of making her own decisions."

"While under your command." Kathryn grimaced. "You should have put her down on that day, Harry. If any one of my Aurors had done something like that, they would be dead or in prison."

"She was in prison." Harry replied coldly. "You let her out by siding with the Masters of Death."

With a flick of his wand, Harry released the Body Bind on Downey, causing her to stumble to the ground. For a moment, Harry thought that she was going to run before she remembered that Harry had her wand. If she ran, she was most definitely going to be caught.

"I'm going to ask you one time, Kathryn. If you answer, I'll let you disappear somewhere away from Britain."

"Do you seriously think I can outrun the Masters of Death? They're everywhere!"

"I think there's a better chance of you outrunning them than me." Harry whispered. "The Masters of Death won't take your betrayal personally. I definitely will. In fact, I already have."

With a snap of his wand, Downey's leg snapped his half, causing her to scream in agony as she collapsed to the ground, holding her leg.

"That's the nicest I will be if you lie to me; a little preview of what's to come if you don't give me the information I want." Harry said as he kneeled next to her. "Now, who let you into the school? It's a short list, those that know all of the wards."

For a few moments, Kathryn didn't answer as she sobbed on the ground, still holding her now broken leg. Harry's patience didn't hold. With a flick, he levitated Kathryn so that her broken leg would have no choice but drop from her hand, causing her to cry out again.

"Answer me!" Harry barked, his face now just inches away from hers. "Answer me or I'll break your other leg!"

"Gemma!"

Harry's heart stopped. Harry knew that he was going to be upset regardless of who it was. But he had expected someone else. Prior to his retirement, Slughorn had known the wards. Harry wouldn't have been surprised if Kathryn would have been able to coerce the information out of Horace.

And while he never would have been able to do anything with them, it was entirely possible that Goyle had known the location of the runestones. Much like his predecessor, Goyle may have been overwhelmingly stupid but he had a great knowledge of the castle.

But Gemma Fairley? She had never crossed his mind. It was unfortunate too because it was going to go back to reinforcing the stereotype that all Slytherins were dark wizards. For years, Harry had been using Daphne and Gemma as examples to the contrary.

Now, his only "example" was someone that Harry was actively using as a double agent.

"Why?" Harry finally croaked.

"I don't know. You'll have to ask her yourself."

"I intend to." Harry said before hitting Kathryn with a Stunner, knocking her unconscious immediately.

Harry's mind was racing. Gemma had always avoided being a member of Dumbledore's Army, The Order of the Phoenix or any of the secret societies that Harry had been associated with. Was Gemma Fairley truly a Master of Death? Was she just working for them like Kathryn had been? If so, why would she work against Harry, the one person who truly had faith in her?

But what if that faith didn't matter to her? What if it had been meaningless? That opened another line of thought that terrified Harry. He had confided a number of things to her over the years. What had she told them?

Harry knew exactly where Gemma lived. They had been friends for years and colleagues for longer. As Harry's blood boiled, he turned in place, knowing that he was going to get answers.

One way or another.


	23. Chapter 23

In the morning, Harry stood on the beach of Shell Cottage, overlooking the ocean as he waited. When he had returned from his mission to find Kathryn Downey, the first thing he had done was secure Kathryn in the basement of Shell Cottage with round the clock supervision.

After that, he heard from Hermione, who had been leading the group that had been following Ogden. According to her, Ogden had met with Christopher Wise several times throughout the day. While Ogden frequently met with Department Heads in his role as the Head of the Wizengamot, this was strange because The Department of Mysteries had almost no political agenda. Its budget wasn't established by the Wizengamot and there was no oversight provided by the Wizengamot to the Department. Both of those things were handled directly between the Minister's Office and the Department itself. In addition, no one used the Department of Mysteries for political gain. In the last two hundred years, not a single Head of the Department of Mysteries had become anything greater than the Head of the Department of Magical Catastrophes and Accidents.

Not a particularly glamorous position.

Once he heard from Hermione, he went to Ron who had spent the previous day working on field tactics with their army. Ron had appointed Viktor, Bill and Fleur as field generals with Ron and Hermione as their superiors who reported to Harry. Harry worried that it looked like nepotism, his closest friends leading the battle. But Harry also knew that his closest friends were the best equipped to lead the battle so the publicity of it mattered less to him.

According to Ron, the training that they had done with Dumbledore's Army had largely carried over. While a few of them hadn't fired a single defensive spell since the Battle of Hogwarts, those were able to be tucked into units that were led by those that had been members of Harry's Task Force. After nearly two whole days of training, Ron's comment was this: "They are never going to overwhelm anyone with their tactical precision but we have some of the most powerful wizards in England here. If I were you, I'd let that power fly."

It was a strategy that Harry intended to use for the next part of his information gathering tour: a mission to capture Gemma Fairley from her home and bring her to Shell Cottage. In the early hours of the morning, Ron took a team of eight of Harry's most trusted allies to infiltrate her home and bring her to him. He had intentionally avoided anyone who may have had access to her wards. Instead, he chose from those that barely knew Gemma outside of her affiliation with Harry and Hogwarts.

From there, he instructed them on just how to get past Gemma's wards, since he had been the one to help her construct them in the first place. By destroying her wards, Harry hoped that they would put Gemma on her heels, preventing her from defending herself and allowing easy capture.

That's if everything went according to plan.

While Ron led the team to take Gemma, Harry waited. It was something that he hated but Hermione had mentioned to him weeks earlier that he didn't need to do everything. In the meantime, Ron had effectively become the leader of The Army of the Order, training them and being Harry's point man for all their attack plans. In the end, it made sense to trust the mission to Ron. So, while Hermione attempted to sleep, Harry made no such attempt and went to the beach. Rather than go through the charade of sleep, Harry figured he would simply look at the stars. Thankfully, it was a clear night and with a warming charm, he was very comfortable sitting on the beach, watching the night sky.

Just after sunrise, Harry heard a commotion in the house and turned to see Ron coming towards him, a grimace on his face.

"What happened?"

"We got her." Ron confirmed shortly before sighing deeply. "But she got Cho bad. Hermione's working on her now but she's not sure that she'll make it without a dedicated Healer."

"I'll talk to her." Harry growled, his voice little more than a gruff whisper as he marched back to the house. Once he was inside, the previous commotion of people coming and going suddenly stopped with all eyes in the house coming to him.

"As you were." Harry whispered before finding the stairs that led down to the basement. The basement was separated into two rooms, convenient for the Order who were currently holding two prisoners. As Harry reached the basement level, Bill, who Harry had placed in charge of maintaining protection around the two prisoners, stepped forward.

"She hasn't said anything." Bill told him in a hushed voice. "She hasn't even looked up. She looks guilty as hell."

"If Kathryn is to be believed, then she is guilty as hell." Harry muttered before looking up to meet Bill eyes. "I want everyone out of here."

Bill immediately looked worried. "Harry, I wouldn't suggest that."

"I'm aware." Harry said simply. "I've considered your opinion and I still want everyone out of here."

"This is my house, Harry." Bill countered. "You can't order me around."

"I probably could if I wanted." Harry replied, thinking back to Grindelwald's words to him about the power that Harry could wield. "But, I won't. You can stay but I want everyone else to wait at the top of the stairs."

Harry could tell that even that made Bill uncomfortable. However, he eventually nodded slowly and then waved everyone out of the room before shutting the door at the top of the stairs. Once the door was closed, Harry waved his wand, shielding any sound made in the basement from the outside world.

From there, Harry stowed his wand in his cloak before entering the room where Gemma was being held. She was sitting in the corner of the dark room, her eyes closed as she leaned against the corner of the wall. They weren't treating her poorly. There was a chair and a desk in the room where she could have been sitting. But the penseive look on her face told Harry that she was feeling something that was causing her to hide, to retreat to the corner as if she could escape judgement if she just went far enough away.

Unfortunately for her, that was definitely not the case.

"Good morning, Gemma." Harry said as he took the seat that Gemma had refused. Bill remained in place next to the door, keeping his distance from both Harry and Gemma.

"Good morning? I imagine it is for you." Gemma murmured, her eyes still closed. "You didn't have a group of wizards break into your home this morning."

"You're right." Harry answered. "The Masters of Death took my home weeks ago with your help. Cho Chang might not make it by the way."

"Excuse me?" Gemma barked, her eyes snapping open fiercely.

"You hit Cho Chang during the abduction. According to Hermione, she may not make it without a dedicated Healer."

Gemma didn't respond to this. Instead, she looked back out the window. The morning light on her face showed Harry that she had been crying, something he hadn't been able to see before. Still, he couldn't help but get riled up when looking at her, knowing that she helped Downey into the castle.

"I've been informed that you assisted a member of the Masters of Death enter the castle." Harry informed her, doing his best to keep the edge out of his voice and failing.

Gemma sat in silence, her eyes flitting about the room. It was clear to Harry that she had no intention of answering him.

"I've known you for five years, Gemma. If there was anyone that I thought would never have betrayed me or Hogwarts, it was you."

"Despite what you make think, Harry, you and Hogwarts are not the same thing." Gemma said simply, her eyes cold.

"So that's why you betrayed the school?" Harry asked. "You thought that I was too powerful or something along those lines?"

"I would never have betrayed Hogwarts. I never wanted the school in their hands. But I would have betrayed you if it came down to it. You are exponentially less important to our future than Hogwarts is."

It was a remarkably blunt thing for Gemma to say for a myriad of reasons. First, the implication was clear: Gemma believed that, in Harry's mind, he was more important to Britain's future than Hogwarts. Obviously, nothing could have been further from the truth.

The second reason it felt blunt was that it was remarkably out of character for Gemma. While she had always been curt (the comparisons to Minerva McGonagall had not been without merit), she had never been deliberately hurtful, which was clearly her intention.

Finally, the hidden message in her words was buried in the fact that her response had not been a denial. She wasn't necessarily admitting her betrayal but she certainly was not denying it either.

"So why did you betray Hogwarts?" Harry asked as plainly as possible.

Gemma started to speak and then suddenly stopped, clearly trying to collect herself. If she hadn't done as Harry suggested, then she surely would have defended herself. The fact that she was considering her words was all Harry needed to know when it came to whether or not she did allow Kathryn Downey into the wards.

Now, the real question was why.

"I'm not close with my family." she muttered, staring out the window. "My parents were Purebloods and believed with in all of the Slytherin propaganda. On the other hand, my closest friends at school were Ravenclaws, a pair of boys who were half-blood. At first, my parents pretended that they were willing to accept my choice in friends but over the years, their charade crumbled around them. When I decided that I was going to marry one of them, my parents informed me that I would lose them forever. They told me that I was ruining the family name by not marrying another Pureblood."

"What does this have to do with letting Kathryn Downey through the school's wards?" Harry questioned.

"I haven't seen my family since I graduated from Hogwarts." Gemma pressed on, ignoring Harry's question. "No one would blame me if I hated them. No one would think twice if I said that I didn't love them anymore. But I would be lying to myself if I said that. Almost every day, I think about going home. Even after my husband and I separated, I still can't bring myself to go see them. They would probably be happy. They didn't care whether I married a man or a woman. All they wanted was a Pureblood."

Finally, Harry had enough. He stood and barked at Gemma. "Enough with the story, Gemma!"

"I shouldn't love them anymore." Gemma said, tears shining her eyes. But her voice was thick and strained, a rage buried deep within bubbling to the surface. "But I do. So when a member of the Masters of Death showed up in the middle of the night, standing at the foot of my bed, and told me that I was going to do whatever they asked or they were going to kill my parents, what was I supposed to do!?"

Gemma had always been strong. It was one of the reasons that Harry liked working with her so much. Even in the moments where she may have felt stressed or frustrated, she had never been one to show that publicly. So for her to now openly be weeping in front of him and Bill (who was a near stranger), Harry never for a second doubted that she was telling them the truth.

"They told me to let her in." Gemma said in between sobs. "They said when you were gone, I would be made Headmaster. I thought that I could protect the children at the very least."

"So you aren't a member of the Masters of Death?"

"No." Gemma said firmly. "Never."

"Why didn't you talk to me?"

"They showed me pictures. Pictures of my parents sitting on the front porch of their home in Edinburgh." Gemma replied. "If I told anyone, they said they would know. My parents are extremely gifted wizards, Harry, but they had no idea the Masters of Death were watching them. I had no doubt that they were watching me as well."

That was a sort of logic that Harry could get behind.

"Is there anything you can tell me?" Harry asked desperately. "Any information that you can share. If you give me the information that I want, we'll put you right back at home. The Masters of Death will never know you were gone."

"They'll know, Harry." Gemma said, her voice cracking. "My parents are likely already dead. They'll think that I talked to you."

Harry couldn't fight her on that. It definitely seemed like something that they would do.

"I'm so sorry, Gemma." Harry replied. "If I had known-"

"There's no way you could have known." Gemma said. "I hid it all from you because that's what I had to do."

Suddenly, Gemma stood and approached Harry, meeting his gaze.

"I'm prepared to accept whatever punishment is required of me, Harry." she stated. "But, I also know something, something I shouldn't. I will give this information to you freely in the hopes that you can stop the Masters of Death. But when you do, I hope you'll also remember that I gave it to you."

"If it's good, I'll do what I can to see that you are treated as gently as possible. Now, what's the information?"

Gemma smirked slightly before breathing deeply and answering him. "I know where the Masters of Death are running their operation from."

"So do I." Harry countered.

"Not their main Headquarters." Gemma countered. "I know where they are leading their assault on Britain."

This was certainly new information and the first time that someone had been able to mention it.

"Where?"

"When Azkaban was first created by the Dark wizard Ekrizdis, it was assumed that it was the only island of its kind in the North Sea. They were wrong. There are at least two islands."

"Two?"

"A second island was discovered about a decade ago. It sits about two hundred kilometers from Azkaban. Whereas Azkaban was eventually leveled and turned into the prison it's known for, the second, unnamed island's architecture remained intact. It seemed that Ekrizdis was using this island as his main headquarters and Azkaban as his laboratory, breeding Dementors for research purposes. When this island was discovered, it was by a young member of the Department of Mysteries."

"Christopher Wise." Harry whispered. "How did you know that he was a part of the Masters of Death?"

"It was he who visited me in the night. Only once, he took me to this new island where he told me what I was supposed to do."

Suddenly, Gemma chuckled and then looked back at Harry, her eyes full of fear.

"Harry, The Masters of Death call the island Tartarus based off the Greek myth. It's a massive island fortress with a tall, obsidian spire in the middle. It even seems to have an effect on the weather. On Tartarus, the sun doesn't shine and it rains constantly. If Azkaban is supposed to be hell on earth, then Tartarus is worse."

"Do you know where it is?" Harry asked eagerly.

"I do." Gemma answered.

"Lead us there."

* * *

Harry had to choose between taking the entire Army of the Order with him to Tartarus or just a small group. If he took the whole Army and then they were forced into battle and lost, the conflict against the Masters of Death would be over. However, if they took a small group to Tartarus and were then discovered, it was almost assuredly a death sentence for those that he took with him.

However, he still couldn't risk the entirety of their fight against the Masters of Death on one mission even if it meant sacrificing his own life. That made Harry's decision for him. Throughout the day, Harry collected a group of seven that were going to be going with him to Tartarus: Neville, Daphne, George, Viktor (who had shown up in the last day to assist Harry upon Hermione's request), Angelina, Gabrielle and Arthur.

As night fell on Cornwall and Shell Cottage, Harry and the rest of his team said their goodbyes before going to the basement and escorting Gemma back to the main floor with them. Harry heard the protests as he returned her wand to her with a knowing look but chose to ignore them. Instead, he waved her forward.

"Lead on."

"We need to Apparate to Skaw."

"Skaw? What's Skaw?"

It turned out that Skaw was a small hamlet on the most northern point of the Shetland Islands to the far north of the Scottish mainland. Unfortunately, it could not be reached from Cornwall, which was in southern England, in a single Apparition. This meant a first jump to Aberdeen, another to Kirkwall and then a final jump to Skaw.

From there, Gemma led them to the coast where a small boat was discovered. Harry wasn't surprised that despite the size of the boat, all nine of them were able to fit on the boat with ease.

As Gemma pushed off from shore and ordered the boat to begin moving, Harry couldn't help but wonder why it Gemma still remembered Tartarus' location. Even if she had been brought there, it seemed foolish of the Masters to have allowed her to even speak to Harry about the location, let alone show it to him. Could this be part of the Masters' plan? All day, he had thought about the fact that he was potentially walking into a trap but as the boat travelled further into the North Sea, unburdened by waves and wind, the potential for that outcome grew in Harry's mind.

Looking around at the rest of the group, Harry could see that they were all starting to get nervous as the weather grew colder and darker. The boat traveled with amazing (and obviously magical) speed over the water, moving faster than a boat of this variety could ever dream.

But it still took them roughly an hour before the weather suddenly changed, indicating that they had entered the island's effect sphere. Unlike normal weather where there would be a gentle increase in rain until it was pouring, this was like running into a solid wall of water.

One minute, it was peaceful, if not a little chilly.

The next, a torrential downpour the likes of which Harry had never felt was pounding upon their heads. Thankfully, the boat hadn't seemed to notice and kept pushing along which meant that the water falling from the sky was hitting their faces at astoundingly high speeds, causing it to hurt quite a great deal.

It was another ten minutes before the island finally came into view. When he first glimpsed the single spire, Harry's first thought was that Gemma had undersold just how terrifying the structure was. The tower itself was so tall that it nearly struck the low hanging clouds, the top of it barely visible through the haze and fog of the storm the island generated.

It truly was obsidian, a dark, volcanic rock that reflected what little sunlight made it through the clouds. There were no windows of any kind to be seen on the side of the tower, which Harry could now see was completely circular.

But as they got closer, Harry was able to see that it wasn't the only structure on the island. In fact, the island itself seemed to be covered in small buildings. But the odd thing about these buildings was that while the tower seemed to be old, older than anything Harry remembered seeing, the buildings seemed to be of a relatively new design.

They were the construction of the Masters of Death, homes for their British invasion force.

"When we get on the island, I want everyone behind me." Harry ordered the sound of the waves crashing against the shore. "Wands out and no talking."

Everyone nodded and withdrew the wands in response. Once the boat hit the shore, Harry grabbed Gemma and dragged her with him over the edge of the boat with the others following as quickly as possible.

Moving through the buildings, Harry was at first surprised to notice that he hadn't come across anyone. But as Harry reached the courtyard at the base of the tower, Harry realized two things.

The first was that the tower, which appeared to be in perfect order at a distance, was not. In fact, Harry wondered if it would stand at all if not for the magic that was keeping it up. Large sections of the tower were missing and the walls were covered with pockmarks from where stones had fallen from them.

The second thing Harry realized was that the island was empty. It was clear that there had been people here recently, within the last couple of days in fact. The homes that they had built on the island were still fully furnished. As Harry and his team moved about the island, Harry noticed meals left on tables, bathtubs still full of water.

These were the homes of people who had left in a hurry.

"They abandoned the island when you captured me." Gemma muttered next to him. "They knew that I knew where they were."

Harry couldn't argue with that logic. It made too much sense. Maybe they had intended for this all along. They knew that Harry would eventually find Kathryn who would have led him to Gemma. Once that was the case, Harry would make contact with her.

Once that occurred, then they would move to the next step in their plan, abandoning the island for wherever they had established their next base of operations. A group like this clearly had the ability to settle down when given the opportunity but was always ready to move when needed.

As Harry considered all of this, his pocket started vibrating from the magic mirror inside. Pulling it out, Harry saw Hermione's face where his reflection should have been.

"What is it?"

"It's the Masters of Death." Hermione said dourly. "They've attacked London."

"How?"

"They attacked Diagon Alley and the Muggle area around it." Hermione replied. "Based on what Percy saw, a group of nearly fifty had to have attacked. Most of Diagon Alley is in flames."

"How many?" Harry asked desperately.

"Forty-seven. Forty Muggles and seven wizards." Hermione answered. "At least two of the wizards appear to be members of the Masters of Death."

"Martyrs for their cause. What has the Ministry's response been?"

"The Ministry is blatantly lying. They're saying the Muggles were killed because they attempted to shoot at the wizards that were outside the Leaky Cauldron."

"So the wizards killed forty Muggles in retaliation?" Harry exclaimed. "Even if that is trust, which I doubt, which is more important: forty or seven?"

"To some, it'll be more important whether they're magical or not." Hermione reasoned. "In either case, Lyman has declared a national state of emergency. According to Percy, she's meeting with the Prime Minister now and ordering him to find the Muggles who discovered the magical world so that she can have their memories wiped."

"She's lying." Harry replied sadly. "For the first time, we have solid proof that she knows what's going on and is lying about it."

"Yes." Hermione agreed. "She is actively working for the Masters of Death."

Harry never expected to get confirmation of that. He just assumed that she would continue to play dumb until the end. But the fact that Percy knew that an obviously magical force had attacked a group of Muggles outside Diagon Alley and then continued their attack inside Diagon Alley and Lyman was lying to the public about it, that sealed the deal.

Samantha Lyman was a member of the Masters of Death.

"We're coming home." Harry said sadly. "There's nothing here."

"Hurry back." Hermione said before disappearing from view. Harry thought for a moment about the people who had just died. Forty Muggles died so that the Masters of Death could justify killing millions more.

This was the beginning of their endgame. They would use more attacks like this to convince the magical world that the Muggles actually knew more about magic than they let on and were intending to wipe them out. From there, the escalation into a world war the likes of which no one had ever seen wouldn't be too far behind with the Muggles on one side and wizards on the other.

It would cost the lives of millions worldwide. It would also be the end of magic as they knew it.

"Let's go." Harry grumbled. "We've got work to do."

* * *

By the time Harry's team returned to Shell Cottage, midnight had come and gone. They were now entering the earliest hours of the morning when most normal people would be sleeping. Instead, Harry marched towards the small cottage with a passion, slamming the door against the wall as he threw it open. When Harry entered the upstairs parlor where Harry's closest advisors had been grouped together, they started the debriefing.

"The attack appears to have happened at roughly five o'clock this evening." Hermione said as she handed him a stack of photos from both magical and Muggle publications. "They opted to attack right at rush hour."

"Attempting to do the most damage." Harry reasoned.

"It's also only an hour before you left for Tartarus." Ginny replied. "They could have someone watching us."

"There's no way they could be watching us." Harry replied. "I double checked the wards this morning personally."

"You said after you got back from Nurmengard that you still believe there's a mole within the Order." Hermione replied.

"I do which is exactly why I leave most of the details out of the plans that I explain to the group as a whole."

"But what about this room?" Percy asked, looking pointedly at Daphne Greengrass.

"Daphne is working with Lyman at my request." Harry growled. "She has my complete confidence."

"Snape had Dumbledore's confidence." George replied.

"And Snape was following Dumbledore's wishes." Harry countered. Stepping forward, he addressed the room. "I will make this perfectly clear. I trust Daphne as much as I trust the rest of you. I will not tolerate this kind of talk. There's a reason that I haven't done much working in rooting out the traitor. First, I believe that if there is one, it is someone outside of this room who has somehow figured out a way to observe these conversations. Second, I have been having doubts that there's a traitor at all."

"What do you mean?" Hermione asked in confusion.

"There is a part of me that has always wondered whether or not Grindelwald was simply attempting to mess with my head. According to everything I've read about him, he seems to have been a bit of a trickster, looking to get the edge in every way possible, even if it meant playing mind games."

"You said yourself that it seemed like he was taunting you with the knowledge." Ginny countered. "He was gloating."

"He could have been acting." Harry reasoned before ending the conversation. "Listen, I'm not saying that I don't believe him. I'm just saying that I'm not as certain as I was the moment we left Nurmengard. Ginny, remember if there's something that I suspect..."

He left the thought open, reminding her of the conversation they had in the Forest of Dean regarding her allegiance to the Masters of Death. With that addressed silently, Harry picked up the file that Percy had copied from his Ministry notes and scanned it, reading all of the available information on the explosion.

"They really don't think people are going to be concerned with the fact that they killed more Muggles than magical people?" Harry asked finally.

"We figure most people will be concerned with that but they aren't looking for most people." George answered. "They're specifically targeting those that they believe would side with them if it were a more popular point of view."

"Basically, if they shift enough people to their side, the rest of us will have to tag along because they'll start the next world war. Our choice would be to win or be exterminated." Harry grumbled. "This is fucking insane."

"For once, I agree with Harry's choice of language." Hermione chuckled.

"That's a first, mate." Ron replied, jabbing Harry in the side with his elbow.

"Don't I know it."

At that very moment, Susan Bones came running into the room. Normally, she wouldn't have been allowed in this meeting but from the look on her face, Harry could tell that it was important.

That was in addition to her recent role: watching the Masters of Death stationed at Hogwarts.

"What is it?" Harry asked.

"The wards around Hogwarts have fallen." she said, her eyes never rising to meet Harry's. "The Masters of Death have officially taken the school."

For the second time in less than a decade, an outside force had taken control of Hogwarts. During his time on the Hogwarts staff, Harry researched the history of the castle extensively and couldn't find a single instance of the school being overtaken.

Of course, Hogwarts hadn't technically been taken in 1997. The Ministry had which led to new management of Hogwarts. But this time, there was no doubt about it.

Hogwarts had been taken and it was Harry's fault.

It was also clear where they were leading their assault on Britain from now. With Tartarus conveniently cleared out, Hogwarts was the most logical choice for them to move the rest of their forces especially since they already had a rather sizeable force present at the school to begin with.

The mood in the room immediately fell. Already they were dealing with the aftermath of an attack in downtown London but now they were forced to handle the loss of the most important institution on the British Isles.

"What do we do now?" Ron finally asked. It was clear that this was the question on everyone's mind.

What was the next step?

"They made a mistake." Harry said with a rather arrogant smirk.

"How?" Hermione asked in confusion.

"They made one of the worst possible choices they could have made in establishing a new headquarters."

"How?" Percy interjected. "Hogwarts is nigh impenetrable. How do you expect to even get in?"

Suddenly, Hermione seemed to understand just where Harry was coming from and stepped in to answer.

"According to the school, I'm still the Headmaster." Hermione replied. "The magic of the school is almost seven hundred years older than the Ministry's. The school doesn't care who occupies it. It cares who has been legally charged with taking care of the school."

"That was Harry." George replied.

"A power that I granted to Hermione upon my capture." Harry informed the group. "This Ministry never thought to legitimize a new Headmaster, namely because they would have had to use the Governors to do so."

"And Arthur and Augusta have been working with us so they would never vote to remove you as Headmaster." Daphne added.

"Exactly. In order to remove a sitting Headmaster, they need to either remove the Headmaster-"

"As in murder." Hermione clarified.

"Thank you." Harry smirked before continuing. "They could have killed me or moved to have the Governors remove me. As of yet, that hasn't happened."

"Why didn't the Governors have to do that with Snape?" Susan asked.

"Because Dumbledore was already dead!" Ron realized with a look at Harry. "The Governors hadn't officially named McGonagall as the new Headmaster when they took over the Ministry. From there, they were able to influence the Governors to do their bidding."

"It's something the Masters never did." Harry grinned. "That means that Hogwarts still responds to my wishes. Plus, we have another advantage."

Reaching into Hermione's bag, Harry pulled out a large set of blank parchments and laid them on the table. Reaction around the room, with the exception of Neville and George, was unimpressed to say the least.

"We're going to beat them with paper?" Daphne asked.

"That's not exactly paper." Neville said truthfully.

"You are about to be let in on a secret that very people know." Harry replied as he began to open the pages of parchment. "In the mid-seventies, four students began the process of mapping Hogwarts. They called themselves The Marauders and gave themselves the nicknames Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs. However, in real life, their real names were Remus Lupin, Peter Pettigrew, Sirius Black and James Potter."

For most, still not sure what the map did, the reaction was timid. But Harry had finally revealed a piece of information that George Weasley had never known.

"Your father made the Marauder's Map!?" George exclaimed. "Your father was a Marauder!?"

"Yes to both." Harry said with a grin. "My father was part of a small group of students who mapped Hogwarts. Using a particularly tricky set of magic, they were able to create a map of the known school. But, the most important thing about this map is what it shows inside the school."

With that, Harry put his wand on the map and spoke the incantation.

"I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."

Inked flooded the pages with walls and stairwells that covered the many floors of Hogwarts. Classrooms, common rooms, dormitories and even the Great Hall appeared on the pages of the Marauder's Map. But most importantly, all of these rooms began to fill with the footsteps of every person who was inside Hogwarts School of Magic.

As Harry looked at the page, he was surrounded by those who had never seen the map, who were stunned by the complexity of what they saw in front of him. Harry scanned the map and saw that most of the names on the map were foreign to him.

Christopher Wise's name stood with Samantha Lyman in the corridor outside his former office. It seemed that even with their great power, Harry was satisfied to know that they had not been able to enter his office.

But the thing that made him truly happy was seeing the name "Aberforth Dumbledore" in the Ravenclaw Common Room. The fact that Aberforth was alive and Harry had a location for him meant that swift action was in order to ensure that Aberforth survived and that he was able to retake Hogwarts.

"This is a tremendous tool." Daphne said in awe.

"It's also an extreme invasion of privacy." Ginny said as Harry noticed that she was looking at Harry and not at him. "How long have you had this?"

"Since third year." Harry said firmly. "Mischief managed."

With the ink gone, Harry returned the Map to an inside pocket of his cloak as he stood up.

"Third year? You've had this for longer than ten years."

"Twelve." Harry confirmed. "I used this during the Triwizard Tournament. I used it to keep us out of trouble during Umbridge's reign of terror. I followed Malfoy on this map during my sixth year. I was certain he was up to something even if everyone else thought I was crazy. And I…."

"He used it while we were on the run." Hermione said with a look at Harry before she stepped up to Hermione. "He used it to look at you. Every night before we went to bed, he pulled out the map and watched you in the Gryffindor Common Room until he fell asleep."

It seemed like dragging up an old image. He literally lost count of the number of times that he fell asleep watching Ginny in Gryffindor Tower. He never watched Dean or Thomas or Parvati or any of the other Gryffindors. He had never checked on Minerva or Horace or Filius.

Just her.

"It's still private." Ginny said softly as she averted her eyes from Harry's gaze.

"In someone else's hands, yes." Hermione agreed. "But do you think I would have let him keep it if I thought he was using it for anything other than just reasons."

"I was fourteen, Hermione." Harry argued. "My reasons weren't always just. Sometimes, I just was too nosy for my own good."

"Yes but you were right more often than not about why you were so I let it go."

"Anyway, what's important is that we finally have the advantage on them. They don't know that school half as well as we do and can't plan for a defense for an attack that they will never know is coming."

* * *

"It seems strange to be back here." Hermione said as she stepped outside of the tent.

"They'll never find us here." Harry replied.

Harry had been to this location deep inside the Forbidden Forest only once before.

It had been in the late hours of May 2, 1998 as he had marched to his supposed death at the hands of Lord Voldemort. Harry couldn't resist using the location as the new headquarters for the Army of the Order. As Harry stood on the ground that should have killed him, he looked at the new map that Harry had spent the rest of the evening working on.

It was a much larger scale model of Hogwarts and the area around it. Each person within the Army of the Order had a figure that Harry could magically order around. When that happened, a set of orders would be sent to a scroll that each commander held. It gave Harry the ability to relay orders from a safe distance, turning him into the true military commander that Harry had never desired to be.

Unfortunately, he knew that he had no choice. Someone needed to coordinate the initial strike of Hogwarts and no one else was equipped to handle that task. Thankfully, Harry had a handful of lookouts within range of the school that were watching the grounds for any large scale movements from the Masters.

There were still a few hours before they would begin their assault on the castle at dawn. Almost everyone was tucked away inside their tents, pretending to sleep. Only four people remained out by the fire, not even trying to hide the fact that they wouldn't be sleeping tonight.

Harry, Ron, Ginny and Hermione sat in silence, listening to the forest around them. If you were quiet, you could hear the centaurs running in the depths of the wood, likely keeping an eye on the large group of wizards that had just invaded their forest. They had clearly seen Harry. Otherwise, there was little chance they wouldn't have attacked.

The weather was unseasonably warm for the time of year. Instead of the frost that normally would have covered the ground, the grass was bare and wet from a recent rainstorm that had passed through hours earlier. The sky was lit with the light of the full moon, blocking the light of some of the stars but letting Harry see each of the three people sitting around him.

Of the three, Ron looked the least worried, a rather surprising turn of events. In the past, Ron had always been the most pragmatic of the three, seeing situations as the rest of the world would have while Harry was attempting to be more optimistic. But the years had been kind to Ron. He had grown into his own person, no longer considered to be the third section of a two part machine. His years working with George had given him a considerable amount of street smarts, a category in which he was already well suited.

Ginny was the hardest to read as she had changed the most. The life and fire typically associated with Ginny before the war were gone, replaced with a paranoia that hadn't gone unnoticed by those outside of Harry's inner circle. Outside of the group, Harry had heard the questions about Ginny's place in Harry's inner circle. But Harry had seen how strong Ginny was. He firmly believed that she would continue to improve if she was given the opportunity to prove herself.

Finally, there was Hermione. Harry knew that he had neglected her over the last few months. In the wake of his becoming Headmaster, he had been forced to push her to the side, something that Harry was uncomfortable with in retrospect. Hadn't Harry's original goal in bringing down Voldemort been not just about killing him, but about allowing Harry to have a normal life? It certainly wasn't the first time that Harry wondered if being the Headmaster of Hogwarts was something he was going to do permanently but this was definitely the time that he had thought about it the hardest.

Would he ultimately be forced to choose between Hogwarts and Hermione? Was that a choice he could even make?

"Happy Christmas Eve." Ginny suddenly muttered under her breath.

"What?" Harry asked softly.

"It's Christmas Eve." Ginny replied, finally looking up at Harry. "I noticed it this evening before we left. Bill and Fleur have this calendar of famous witches and wizards in their office. Bill's been marking a calendar every day for as long as I can remember. They had marked yesterday as being the 23rd."

"That would make it Christmas Eve." Ron reasoned obviously.

"Thank you." Harry said with a sarcastic grin. "We never would have figured it out otherwise."

"Shut it, mate."

"You two will grow up one day, yes?" Hermione asked despite knowing the answer.

"Not likely." Ron replied before looking at Harry. "At least, I hope not."

"I suppose we'll have to one day." Harry said, his voice sober. In truth, Harry had matured beyond his years. Only Ron was able to bring that youthful side of him back.

Well, Ron and Hermione.

"So what are we doing for Christmas tomorrow?" Harry asked.

"Well, it's George's year to host. So I suppose we'll have to crash his flat after we're done tearing a hole in the Masters." Ron chortled.

"And just show up unannounced? That's rude." Harry fired back.

"Yes, we have to at least bring a dish with us." Hermione added to the festivities.

"YOU KNOW THAT WE CAN ALL HEAR YOU!" George suddenly shouted from his tent, causing the quartet sitting around the fire to burst into raucous laughter. It had been a long time since Harry had laughed so fully and he relished the opportunity to sit and enjoy the friendship of those that had been with him since the beginning.

"Well, I suppose we should try and sleep a bit." Harry said as he stood.

"You have no intention of sleeping." Hermione replied. "You're going to go walk in the woods by yourself which I am not going to allow you to do."

"Follow him. I'm going to bed." Ron said before going to his tent. Harry knew that Ron wasn't sleeping but he wasn't about to call him out for going to his fiancee's tent.

"You two have fun." Ginny said in a stunted voice to Harry and Hermione before disappearing into her own tent. For a moment, Harry considered Ginny. Was it possible that she still held onto some hope that Harry was the right person for her? He certainly hoped not.

"Let's go." Harry said as he plunged into the darkness of the Forbidden Forest. For the next few minutes, neither Harry nor Hermione said a word as they navigated through the rough terrain of the Forest. As expected, Harry saw a group of centaurs running in the distance, trailing their every movement.

"I assume you know where we're going."

"A few places."

The first stop was the first place Harry remembered from the Forbidden Forest. When he was eleven, he had been given detention for sneaking out of his Common Room at night.

That night, he had seen the spectre of Lord Voldemort for the first time, inhabiting the body of Professor Quirrell as they drank the blood of the unicorns in order to sustain Voldemort's power.

The second stop was Grawp's former home. Sometime in the last decade, Grawp had vanished into the countryside. Rumors were abound that a giant could be seen gently wandering through the Forest but Harry hadn't seen him in at least six years.

The final stop was Hagrid's hut. As Harry approached the front door, he lifted his hand as if to knock on the door before stopping himself at the last minute. With a sad smile, he instead opened the door, walking into the half-giant's former home.

The two of them simply sat for a few minutes in silence, enjoying the memories they both were experiencing of this particular hut.

"Maybe we could just move here?" Hermione asked gently as she leaned into Harry.

"I'm not really into the antler aesthetic that Hagrid had going here."

"We could always redecorate."

"We could always just build our own home out here."

"I suppose we could do that too."

Again, silence.

"Are you scared?" Hermione whispered, as if the volume of her voice meant the difference between life and death.

Harry nodded. "It's different this time. With Voldemort, we had a task but we were never in charge of any sort of strategy for defeating him. We destroyed the Horcruxes and then we took him out. It was simple."

"We certainly have a lot more on our plate this time."

"As much as I think he kept too much from people, I feel I understand Dumbledore much better now than I ever did. In this battle, I am what Dumbledore was to Voldemort."

"Does that make me Minerva?" Hermione asked.

"I suppose it does."

"There are worse comparisons to be made."

"Plus, I've heard she was rather a looker in her day." Harry added.

"Well, let's just grab a Time Turner and we can find out."

"We can't." Harry reminded her jokingly. "We broke all of them in the Department of Mysteries."

"Fair point. I suppose we'll just have to take their word." Hermione reasoned aloud before turning to Harry. "You're going to do fine."

"I hope. Teaching is one thing, leading a school is another. But leading a military invasion of a stronghold like Hogwarts? That's something else still. It's insane that we're even doing it."

"But it needs to be done. If we don't go in there sooner rather than later, then the Masters of Death will be able to secure an official stranglehold over all England. Soon enough, they'll truly own the Ministry and then they'll figure out how to take control of the school. It will only take time before it finally happens."

"I know."

"You know this school and its secrets better than anyone living except maybe George and he helped you with the beginning details of the plan. From there, we're all following you. You're the one who led Dumbledore's Army. You are the one who led us through the Battle of Hogwarts and you're the one who brought Malfoy down. It's been you since the beginning."

"Well, I would rather it not be me any more."

"I know." Hermione whispered softly before kissing Harry. "But at least one more time, it's all going to fall on you. Now, let's get some sleep before the sun starts to come up."

"OK."

Without speaking, the pair stood and left the hut, returning to their tent. Harry didn't sleep much that night but when he did, all he imagined were the eyes of Gellert Grindelwald staring at him, burning into his mind with joy and hate all at once.

It was the worst night of sleep Harry ever got.

* * *

In the very early hours of the morning, The Army of the Order awoke and assembled together for what was possibly the final time. Standing in front of everyone, Harry thanked them for their dedication and service. Then, he briefly explained the plan and what was required from each group. Once he was done, everyone was dismissed to follow their orders.

Harry had split the rest of the Army into three groups. The first group were with Hermione who was leading them into cellar at Honeydukes. The second group was following Ron. They were going to the Shrieking Shack. The final group was led by Ginny. She was taking her team to the Hog's Head.

All three commanders were leading their teams through the secret tunnels from Hogsmeade to Hogwarts, each ordered to stop just before they were able to enter the castle.

Just as the sun rose over the castle, Harry's mirror vibrated for the first time.

Ready was the word marked in Ginny's handwriting.

It was another ten minutes before Ron's almost illegible scrawl indicated the same message.

Just moments later, Harry got a message in Hermione's neat text: In position.

With all three groups in position, the next part of the plan went into effect: the gambit. Once Harry confirmed with all of his lookouts that none of the Masters had assembled in any meaningful way, Harry conferred with the Marauder's Map.

As Harry looked at the map, he saw that both Wise and Lyman remained inside the school, as did Aberforth. A quick scan saw that the Army of the Order would be outnumbered at least three to one by the Masters of Death. Harry knew there was no way that the Army was going to leave the school unscathed. He only hoped that the element of surprise would give them enough of an advantage.

Seeing that everything was in place, Harry put the Map inside his cloak and then Apparated to the front door of the school where he simply knocked on the door. For a few moments, nothing happened.

Finally, the doors opened and Harry was greeted (if that was the word) by what had to be at least thirty members of the Masters of Death. None were wearing robes as they were clearly not prepared for Harry's appearance. However, none of them had neglected their masks, meaning their identities were still safe.

"I would like to speak to the Minister of Magic." Harry said simply as he raised his empty hands.

Instantly, two women stepped forward and grabbed Harry, taking his wand from his robes and pocketing it before grabbing each of his arms and leading him to the Great Hall. As expected, Christopher Wise sat in Harry's seat with Lyman just to his right.

As Harry was dragged down the center aisle of the school, members of the Masters of Death flooded down the parallel paths, filling in the front half of the Great Hall with bodies that surrounded Harry. He had no doubt that all of them wished to kill him.

But that wasn't Harry's focus. Instead, he locked eyes with Christopher Wise who smirked at him as Harry was thrown to the ground at his seat.

"This is a nice chair, Headmaster."

"I'm aware." Harry said as he stood. The moment he hit his feet, someone struck him in the back of the knees, causing him to gasp in pain and collapse to the floor. Instead of submitting, however, Harry once again stood.

Again, someone stepped forward to strike him. But, instead of having the time to hit him, Harry threw an elbow back at the person, striking them in the face. Ironically, this caused them to collapse to the floor. Harry smirked with satisfaction as he saw blood trickling out from behind the mask.

Almost instantly, Harry saw wands drawn around him, ready to take him down.

"Enough!" came Wise's shout from Harry's seat. "I'm sure there's an incredibly noble reason why the Headmaster is here. I would like to hear it."

"I would like you to return Aberforth Dumbledore to me." Harry lied. Certainly, he would have loved that but it wasn't truly why he was there.

"That's it?" Wise asked skeptically. "No greater ambitions?"

"No."

"And you thought it wise to knock on the front door of our stronghold to get him back?"

"This is my castle." Harry replied possessively. "The school itself would still recognize me as Headmaster if you would challenge it."

"I'm aware." Wise answered. "But the school is not in charge right now, I am."

"If you say so." Harry chuckled. It earned him another strike behind the knees.

"I do." Wise said menacingly as he stood and approached Harry's fallen form. "I am in charge here. I will do the work of our fallen leader and live up to his great legacy. Once that is done, we will have taken the world back from the Muggles and been restored to the glory that we deserve."

"Boring." Harry taunted as he stood to face Wise, who he found was several inches taller than him. "You sound like every other madman. Fighting for some broken philosophy that makes you sound raving mad. You're fighting a force with the ability to blow us off the Earth and outnumbers us by a margin that is almost unfair to consider. You think that magic alone will allow you to defeat the Muggles? Your stupidity is almost as impressive as Grindelwald's was."

That was when the wand finally came out. Wise's wand was surprisingly quick, slamming Harry was a Bludgeoning Hex that threw him back into the pile of bodies behind him. Reeling from the hit, Harry was barely able to roll out of the way of the Cruciatus Curse that Wise fired next. As Harry rolled, he grabbed his mirror out of his pocket and threw it on the floor, smashing it into hundreds of tiny pieces.

"Bad luck." Wise said with a cocky smirk.

"I think not." Harry said as the sound of a large explosion was heard somewhere far off in the building. For nearly a full minute, the sound of spells and loud voices could be heard getting louder and louder. As that happened, Wise organized his people to watch the door.

Finally, there was a moment of silence. Harry looked around and noticed that the Masters of Death were beginning to slump, believing the worst to be over.

Harry was happy to show them just how wrong they were when suddenly, the door to the Great Hall was blown off its hinges, throwing the massive doors down onto the table in front of them.

Behind the doors stood the collective strength of the Army of the Order. The plan had been simple. The three teams would organize themselves at the secret entrances to the school. Once they were ready, Harry would "sacrifice" himself to the Masters of Death. Knowing the Masters' tendency for grandiose behaviors, Harry was relatively certain that they would bring him to the Great Hall. Once he was there, most of the Masters would come running to see what Wise would do to him.

That would be their downfall. With most of the Masters of Death inside the Great Hall, Harry would smash his mirror, ordering the Army to enter the castle. With the numbers balanced more in their favor, they would fight their way to The Great Hall where they would join Harry and fight the rest of the Masters of Death and their leaders.

Wise had followed Harry's expectations to the letter.

Turning around, Harry removed the Elder Wand from the Undetectable Holster hidden on the inside of his cloak. With a single flip of his wand, Harry hit the ground just in front of him with the largest Banishing Spell anyone had ever seen. The shock wave from the hit threw the entirety of the Masters of Death within several feet of him to the ground.

But for Harry, the blast threw him into the air, allowing him to float back to within just a few feet of Hermione and the rest of the Army. When he landed, Hermione and Ginny quickly stepped in front of him for protection.

Standing, Harry marched past the two witches, his wand held high and a wild smile on his face.

He aimed his wand across the room to where Christopher Wise, head of the Masters of Death, stood.

"Your move."


	24. Chapter 24

"Your move."

The very moment those words left his mouth, the Great Hall erupted into pandemonium with spells firing in every direction, so much so that Harry could see people in his peripheral vision falling to the ground right and left. But at the same time, Harry could also see his friends pushing forward, stepping over those that had been Stunned to press their advantage.

That was something that Harry noticed: The Masters of Death were only using Stunners. Not a single Killing Curse had been fired. For a group that had killed seven of their own in London along with dozens in attacks across England, it was strange to see them suddenly show a great deal of restraint.

Because for the first time, Harry had ordered his people not to hold back. It had been something that Harry, George and Ginny had discussed in the early hours of the morning. At first, Harry had been against killing the general membership of the Masters of Death. But George had constantly urged Harry to a more violent end. He had argued that if The Masters of Death weren't struck a permanent blow, then there was always the ability for them to slink back into the shadows and return with a vengeance. Ginny had reluctantly agreed with George. Apparently Harry's conversation with her back in the tent on her exceedingly violent ways had stuck. While she was in agreement with her older brother, she seemed to hold no joy in doing so.

Still, many of the Army of the Order were actively refusing to kill anyone, firing Stunner and Bludgeoning Curses that did a huge amount of damage but was ultimately something that they could recover from. In either case, the bodies of the Masters of Death were racking up far faster than those of the Army of the Order. As Harry pushed forward into the room, he pointed his wand at the four tables that lined the room. In sequence from left to right, he threw the tables against the wall, causing them to shatter into hundreds of pieces that Harry levitated briefly before directing them at great speed towards the Masters of Death. While some of them were able to throw shields in front of them that blocked them from receiving any damage, others weren't so lucky. The chunks of shattered wood struck them hard, causing all of them to go down. Some of them went down screaming, pressing down on wounds that they begged someone to heal.

Others simply went down, saying and feeling nothing. Even in the heat of battle, Harry's insides turned at the thought of his choice in action. Mostly because of that single word: choice. Any other time he had killed, he had always argued that it had been in defense. Even now, Harry attempted to rationalize that it was still in defense.

_If the Masters of Death took over, millions would die. In that sense, Harry was_ _**defending** _ _all of those innocent lives from ever being lost._

But even as he was having the thought, he knew it was a lie. He knew that for the first time in his life, he had made the decision to take a life.

He had made the decision to take several lives.

He had made the decision to take as many lives as necessary to win the day, a fact that Harry knew he would never live down. Even at the Ministry, despite the show of power that Harry had demonstrated that day, he had chosen restraint. But this time was different. This time, he showed no restraint. If Harry survived the events of the day, that decision would change him forever. For years, Harry had fought against becoming desensitized to the death around him. He had always chosen against death whenever possible.

But that was over now. Harry had crossed the line a dozen times over in a single moment, a massive display of public power that ended the lives of at least ten people and maybe more.

Once Harry's line of sight cleared up, Harry saw that Wise had pushed behind the wall of his troops. Standing next to him stood his true target: The Phantom. Where he had been, Harry was uncertain. When Harry had scanned the map of Hogwarts a final time before entering the school, no name other than Aberforth Dumbledore had stood out to him.

Was it possible that Aberforth was The Phantom? Certainly The Phantom wasn't the massive figure that he was but it was definitely possible for someone to cast enchantments on their armor that would trick anyone who viewed them into believing that they were smaller.

Whether it was Aberforth or some traitor that Harry had yet to discover or even an anonymous figure, someone who blamed Harry for a loss that he had yet to discover, Harry knew only one thing: The Phantom was going to die today. As Harry stepped through the group and towards them, he noticed that Ron and Hermione, like so many times in the past, flanked him, Ron on his left and Hermione on his right.

But unlike those other times, The Golden Trio were no longer children. This time, they were a force unlike any. Three people, all of prodigious skill despite their young age, who had befriended each other at very beginning of their Hogwarts education and remained friends and allies since. Harry, Ron and Hermione had been fighting together for fifteen years. They knew their weaknesses better than anyone. They knew how they would fight and how they would defend.

And they outnumbered their prey. A dark smile formed on Harry's face as he stopped feet short of where The Phantom and Wise stood.

"This is bold, Potter." The Phantom said, his voice masked once again. "I would have never expected something like this from you."

"Well, I like to do the unexpected." Harry replied.

"Clearly." The Phantom replied before turning to Wise. "I expected better of you, Wise."

"You were in charge of security." Wise snapped. "How did they get in?"

"How indeed." The Phantom considered, his gaze turning back towards Harry.

"How we got in doesn't matter, the fact that the Masters of Death are over is what matters now."

For a moment, the faceless mask of The Phantom remained still. Then, even amidst the explosions, over the shouts and above the screams, he laughed. It started quiet at first, a chuckle like a friend laughing at an inside joke. But as the time passed, the chuckle turned into a cackle and then a full-on bellow. The Phantom even bent over for a moment, as if the weight of the laugh was causing him to fall to the ground.

Then with a snap, The Phantom stood and fired a single spell into the air and out of the Great Hall. For about three seconds, Harry thought that nothing had happened. Then, the windows to the Great Hall simultaneously exploded. As they did, members of the Masters of Death flew in through the windows, hovering over them with the wands aimed at the wizards below.

At the same time, a flood of wizards from the Entrance Hall barricaded the entrance of the Great Hall, trapping the entirety of Harry's group inside.

They were trapped.

But Harry had never been known to give up. He knew that they were going to die. At that moment, nothing had ever been clearer. The full might of The Masters of Death had been brought down upon them and there was nothing that they could do stop that.

However, Harry had been certain of his death before and each time, he had managed to find a way out. In Harry's mind, that meant that if he kept fighting, then maybe something would come along that would help them all out.

So when clearly forced between the choice of throwing down his wand or going out in a blaze of glory: Harry chose the blaze of glory. Throwing his wand back as far as it would go, he threw it forward, launching a set of ropes at THe Phantom that wrapped around his waist. Once they were secure, Harry pulled, throwing him behind him with all the force his magic could muster.

For a moment once they broke into the room, the Masters of Death had frozen, waiting to see what Harry would do. Once they saw their leading flying head first down the middle of the Great Hall, however, they wasted no time in fighting back. Almost immediately, Harry felt Ron and Hermione's back rest against his, taking away any avenue for a sneak attack to take them out.

The combination of the three wizards was devastating, unleashing a wave of power and destruction that tore holes in the ceiling and tore massive chucks from the walls. Hermione quite literally disintegrated one Master of Death while banishing another out the window with such force that Harry imagined he could hear the man hit the water of the Black Lake. Ron was less imaginative but no less dangerous. He threw fire and water and raw energy blasts that destroyed masses of people including one particularly powerful Incendiary Curse that set a group of nearly twenty on fire simultaneously.

In this formation, however, it was Harry who was the mover and shaker. With a force that shook the room, Harry tore entire sections of the walls and scattered them across the room like the effect of a Muggle buckshot, spraying body parts and blood everywhere.

But even with the amount of power, they still couldn't protect themselves forever. To his left, Harry saw Ron fall after the blast from a particularly powerful Exploding Charm hit the floor. Moments later, Hermione was hit with a Stunner that dropped her.

Standing alone, Harry watched as The Masters of Death slowly overwhelmed everyone in the room, Stunning them until he remained the only person standing. He knew that there was no chance of escape or winning but still he fought. Fighting one against one hundred, Harry attacked and attacked. Finally, after he finished freezing someone solid, Harry was hit by a curse that threw him on his side.

Rolling to the side, Harry tried to recover but it was too late as The Phantom stood over him, that mask hiding every emotion that might be happening behind it. With a flash of red, Harry was Stunned and the world was no more

* * *

When Harry awoke, he was surprised to notice two things. The first was that Harry was clearly not at Hogwarts any longer. The second item was a bit more disconcerting. As he stood up, it was clear that he was standing on top of a tower: the tower that stood at the center of Tartarus.

"Enjoying the view, Harry?"

With a turn, Harry snapped back to the source of the voice, instinctively reaching for his absent wand. Standing just a few feet away was Christopher Wise, Harry's wand in one hand, the Elder Wand in the other.

"Didn't think we would let you keep these did you?"

"Where is everyone else?"

"We're going to talk for a bit. Then, when you're ready, we'll go see your friends." Wise said as he moved next to Harry, looking out over the edge of the tower at the island below. Quickly, Harry reached out and shoved Wise, hoping that he would push him over the edge.

Instead, Wise stopped short of going over the edge, hitting some sort of invisible barrier that prevented him from going any further. After a quick moment where he realized what happened, Wise stood and fired the Cruciatus Curse using Harry's own wand, forcing Harry to his knees as the feeling of hundreds of red hot needles pierced his skin. When Wise finally released the Curse, Harry collapsed to the floor, his brow wet with sweat and tears in his eyes.

Standing gingerly, Harry looked at Wise who was clearly ready to kill him. However, instead of murdering him, Wise pocketed Harry's wand and returned to the edge of the tower.

"I should have assumed you would try that." Wise grimaced. "Unfortunately for you, everything is not as it seems."

With another wave of his wand, walls suddenly materialized around them, placing them not on top of the tower but inside of it with walls and ceiling surrounding them until they were in a circular room with a shallow ceiling.

Then, with another wave of his wand, the walls and ceiling were gone and much like in the Great Hall, Harry could see everything that was happening outside.

"You believe that The Masters of Death are terrorists? The man who created this tower was the true terrorist. His name was Ekrizdis and seven hundred years ago, he was banished from Scotland for crimes so heinous that even the Death Eaters would have disassociated themselves from him. He believed that the world we live in was nothing more than a sandbox, something for him to play in. When he was banished, he moved to the North Sea, inhabiting this island and the island now known as Azkaban."

"On this island, Ekrizdis studied the possibilities behind the destruction of the world using the weather. This very tower was designed by Ekrizdis himself to channel Dark elemental magic that would allow him to create hurricanes, cyclones, hail the size of Quaffles and rain storms so powerful that you could flood a city within an hour. Unfortunately, he was unable to figure out how to direct that energy outside of a certain range of the tower."

"That's why it's constantly raining."

"Correct." Wise confirmed. "He was clearly working on something when he died due to the constant storm surrounding the island. Unfortunately, no one yet understands the magic that he was working with. Until we do, the storm will continue."

"Why are you telling me this?" Harry asked.

"Because you believe that we are the enemy." Wise stated as he suddenly stepped away from the view and towards the stairs at the far side of the room. Without anyone to stop him, Harry followed Wise down the stairs. For the length of time that it took the pair to descend the stairs, they were silent.

Once they reached the ground floor, Wise exited out into the rain with Harry behind him.

"We're not your enemy, Harry." Wise explained calmly. "Look around you. What do you see?"

"A miserable rain storm as far as the eye can see."

"Ignore the weather." Wise scoffed. "Look at the structures."

"I've seen them before."

"Then you know what they are."

"You lived here."

"We built a home here, Harry." Wise corrected. "Almost every hour of every day, I had some of the Ministry's best cursebreakers working on figuring out how to stop the storm. In the meantime, it was a perfect place to hide away from the Ministry. But this isn't an army. Look around, there were families here. Families of all shapes and sizes."

"And that's supposed to mean something to me? So you are were able to convince whole families to drag themselves to this fucking place. How does that make your rhetoric any less reprehensible?"

"Because almost all of these families were forced from their homes! As the Muggles continue to spread into the countryside, our wards and protections will become weaker and weaker. One day, a collection of Muggles is going to walk into Hogsmeade or Hogwarts."

"There are wards to protect that from happening."

"That's good. What about their satellites? What about the Muggles' ever growing technology? With that, they could be staring down on us right now."

"The Ministry has programs in place with the Prime Minister that prevents them from being able to do that."

"And you don't think any of the people monitoring that equipment will ever get suspicious? Because I do." Wise growled suddenly. "If that happens, if one lonely attendant gets bored or curious and looks at a place on the map where they aren't supposed to, what happens then? Because I don't think the wards around Hogwarts are going to work on a camera in space."

Harry hated to admit it but Wise did have a point. Muggle technology was reaching a point that it was becoming harder and harder to hide in plain sight. But in Harry's mind, that didn't mean that you stopped trying, a thought that he didn't utter aloud.

"How did you know we were coming?" Harry asked Wise instead.

"You've had a leak in your ranks from the very beginning."

"Who is it?"

"Not yet." Wise scolded. "You will be told everything in time. There's no rush unless you are truly that eager to die."

"I've died before."

"I know." Wise said knowingly.

"I was kidding." Harry replied nervously.

"You aren't. I've heard your part of the story in the Forbidden Forest during the Battle of Hogwarts."

"Who told you that? Only a small group of people were ever told that part of the story."

"I'm aware." Wise said simply before turning and walking away. Harry's mind was racing. The group that had been told that part of the story wasn't tiny but it certainly wasn't large either. The Weasleys, Luna, Kingsley and McGonagall were the only ones that knew as far as Harry knew. He supposed it was possible that one of them had let it slip to someone else but Harry found that unlikely.

Following Wise once again, they stopped in the middle of a courtyard at the base of the tower. At one end stood the tower with a glass wall behind which Harry could see the forms of Ron, Hermione, Neville and Luna.

At the other end of the tower stood The Phantom with four people on their knees with bags on their head.

"Before we get to them, I'll tell you something that very few people know." Wise said firmly as they stood directly between the two groups.

"You're a world class son of a bitch?" Harry guess sarcastically which caused Wise to chuckle.

"That's no secret." he said with a grin. "No, the secret is that I'm Gellert Grindelwald's great-grandson."

Harry was stunned. Typically, he would have had some sort of quip ready to go but for once, Harry was truly shocked into silence. Harry had guessed some sort of connection between Wise and Alexander Wilson but had never considered any sort of connection between Wise and Grindelwald himself.

"How are you related?"

"My great-grandmother, Lucille, was married to the last Phantom before Grindelwald's capture."

"Alexander Wilson."

"You've done your research." Wise replied proudly. "Yes, Alexander was Lucille's husband. However, she had no real love of him. By all accounts, he was a miserable bastard who abused her. Despite the fact that he was an incredibly powerful wizard, he was a remarkably horrible human being."

"So Lucille decided that she was going to fuck Grindelwald."

With a single, fluid motion, Wise reached out and slapped Harry. "Do not speak of my family in such crude fashion, Potter. You wish to know everything then you will follow my words. If you'd rather die ignorant, I can accommodate that as well. Do you hear me?"

"Loud and clear." Harry said as he rubbed the spot where Wise had hit him.

"Anyway, Lucille had always loved Gellert and so they carried out their affair in private. When my grandmother Joanne was born, Alexander was under the assumption that she was his. Neither Gellert or Lucille ever bothered to correct him."

"I know the rest of the story. Lucille takes Joanne and flees to the UK where she lived under an assumed identity. Joanne eventually marries Christopher Greengrass. Where I'm confused is how this connects to you…..unless…."

"Now you're putting the pieces together." Wise said with a grin.

"Gellert?"

"That was my birthname." Wise confirmed. "Gellert Bolton. My mother was the youngest of Charles and Lucille Greengrass' children. She was also insane, murdering her husband. When she was executed for her crime, I was given up for adoption and since no one in my family would take me in, I was given to an orphanage and given a new name: Christopher."

"To be fair, I don't consider Gellert to be my real name or any nonsense like that. However, over the years, I realized that something wasn't right. I am exceptional in just about every way. Neither of my adoptive parents are anything above average at the very best of times. So, I went searching. Eventually, I found Grindelwald himself, holed away in Nurmengard. The very moment I saw him, I knew. At that time, he was still capable of standing most days and he retained some of his hair. Once I saw him, I knew who my true ancestor was and what my life's mission would be."

"Creating the second instance of your insane grandfather's order." Harry said which elicited another slap from Wise. This was forced Harry to the ground where he saw blood splash onto the ground.

"You are so close to finding out the truth, Potter." Wise growled. "I would hate to have to kill you before I can crush you."

"Crush me?" Harry asked in confusion as he stood. "What the hell are you talking about?

"You'll see." Wise replied, giving Harry a look that he could only describe as Grindelwald-esque. "Go see your friends. Say goodbye."

Harry looked nervously at Wise, trying to determine if he was going to attack him while Harry's back was turned. When he couldn't make a decision, Harry simply backed away about halfway to the tower before finally turning and marching back to them.

As he approached, it was clear to Harry that none of his friends could see him. Apparently, there was a high amount of customization that could be done to the tower. In this instance, Harry could see in but they couldn't see out. Harry looked in to see all four of his friends standing, pacing the room. It was clear that they were trying to come up with a way out. Ron was the most expressive, shouting several times as he nearly sprinted from wall to wall. Luna followed Ron, clearly attempting (and failing) to get him to calm down. The look of frustration on her face was a rare sight for anyone who knew Luna Lovegood.

In comparison, Neville stood against the wall, his arms crossed. He was deep in thought as he barely noticed Ron and Luna's arguing. He was probably trying to come up with a way out.

But the one that Harry noticed most for a variety of reasons was Hermione. Hermione stood next to Neville, drawing runes in the wall. From what Harry could see, she was trying to figure out a way through the wall, something that Harry knew was possible with runes. The only real issue was that they didn't have their wands either.

"I'm sorry it had to be this way, Hermione. I'm sorry, Ron and Luna and Neville." Harry whispered. "I still can't believe they got the drop on us. I'm going to do everything I can to get us out of this. We all know I have a "saving people thing." I can't help it. I will do everything I can to make sure that you get out of here alive. I can only hope that they'll be satisfied with killing me."

Harry stopped and leaned his head against the wall, silently praying that they could somehow come to hear his words despite knowing that was impossible.

"If given the chance to give myself up for you every day of the week, I would do it. I would do it because I know you would do the same. We're family, right? It's what family does for each other."

Then, Harry stood back from the wall and looked directly at Hermione.

"I should have married you. You are my everything and I regret that I didn't tell you that every single day. I hope that one day you find someone who makes you far happier than I ever did."

"I love you."

Taking a deep breath, knowing that this would be the final time he would ever glimpse any of them, Harry turned, his hand tracing against the wall as he did. With another steadying breath, Harry marched down the length of the courtyard.

Once again, Harry found himself willingly walking to his death, ready to sacrifice himself for his friends and family. While Harry wouldn't change anything, he did have to say that he was getting pretty tired of that fact. Thankfully, it was guaranteed not to happen again.

As Harry approached Wise and The Phantom, he noticed something. The Phantom was wearing something different, a first in Harry's interactions with him. Instead of his almost regal attire, The Phantom now wore a simple black cloak that covered the entirety of his frame. His mask was also different, no longer shiny and instead an entirely matte black color.

It was like he was attending a funeral, which Harry supposed was true in a sense.

"Let's get this over with." Harry growled as he collapsed onto his knees in front of them.

"About that, there's been a slight change of plans."

"What?" Harry whispered.

"Originally, the plan was to bring you here and kill you. However, my friend here had a much better idea."

As Wise spoke, The Phantom approached the four figures behind him, removing the bags from their heads. As he did, Harry was shocked to see Tiberius Ogden, Gemma Fairley, Kathryn Downey and-

"What's she doing here?" Harry asked.

The Phantom grabbed the head of The Minister of Magic Samantha Lyman and held it next to hers. "She's been very bad. She deserves to be punished."

"All of them do, in fact." Wise added. "Instead of killing you, we've decided to play a little game with you. These four were instrumental in our plans for England. They gave us access to places that we never would have had and to people that never would have listened to us. However, they all failed in their task of keeping you from getting closer to us."

"For that, they deserve death." The Phantom replied. "But rather than simply killing them, we're going to give you the choice."

"What choice?"

"Two of these failures joined us willingly." The Phantom informed Harry. "Two of them were forced to join us."

"Kill the two that we forced into joining us and we'll let the other two go along with you and the rest of your Army go."

It was an enticing offer. The guarantee that he would be set free along with everyone else he cared about if he simply killed the right two people. But there was the problem. Killing people in the midst of battle was one thing, even if it was something that Harry was still wary of. But killing two people based on a guess when they were defenseless was something else entirely.

That was secondary to the fact that even if he had wanted to kill someone, he wouldn't have known who. Lyman had been a miserable excuse of a Minister of Magic but it was entirely possible (and very likely) that she had been threatened into joining the Masters of Death. There's no other reason for the blatantly terrible decisions she made as Minister.

Same with Ogden. He made choices that Harry hadn't understood politically for toxic reasons. However, that didn't mean that Ogden had been coerced it could have just meant that he was incredibly stupid.

Again, the same things could be said for Gemma and Kathryn. Both had been friends of Harry's and ideally placed so that could suggest coercion. But Harry hadn't even thought that was possible for either of them. In the end, it left Harry with a strangely easy decision to make.

"No."

"No..what?" Wise asked.

"I refuse to participate." Harry said without getting to his feet. "You can kill me right here and right now but I refuse to kill someone who is unarmed and unable to defend themselves."

"That's funny." The Phantom said as he kneeled down in front of Harry. "I never pegged Harry Potter as a coward."

"You don't know anything about me." Harry growled, his face just inches from The Phantom's.

"Don't I?" The Phantom taunted. "Harry James Potter. Born July 31, 1980. Performed your first true Patronus in third year defending your godfather, Sirius Black, from Dementors. Saved Ginny Weasley from the Chamber of Secrets by accessing the entrance in the Girl's Bathroom. The Sorting Hat considered putting you in Slytherin House but didn't because you asked it not to."

"Who are you?" Harry asked, stunned that The Phantom knew so much about him. "Who _are_ you?"

"You personally marched to your death again Lord Voldemort but was saved because he had imbued himself with your mother's blood. Your first kiss was Cho Chang."

It was clear that The Phantom was someone that he knew.

"You saved Arthur Weasley from Voldemort's snake."

But who?

"Your favorite spot that isn't Hogwarts is the grove beyond the lake at the Burrow."

"No." Harry whispered, his eyes coming up to The Phantom's. Suddenly, Harry realized that he could see the eyes behind the mask. He should have know exactly who The Phantom was. It was something that Harry had feared for months, ever since she had returned. Still, she had worked with him, given him information on the Masters that no one else could have gotten him.

But it was clear that she had been serving two Masters. "Please no." Harry pleaded softly, speaking to himself more than anyone present.

The next time The Phantom spoke, its voice was no longer different. Instead, it was a voice that Harry had heard thousands of times in a thousand different ways.

"It's a very special spot isn't it?"

The voice was sweet but with an edge that betrayed a strength that rivaled that of any person that Harry had ever met. It was what had made him fall in love with her in the first place.

"Ginny?"

With that, the mask was removed. Behind it with a twisted smile was the visage of Ginerva Weasley.

"Hello, Harry." Ginny said with a dark smile. "I wondered how long it would take you to figure it out."

He couldn't believe it. As Harry thought about it, his chest became tight. Over the past few months, Ginny had been one of his closest friends. He had talked to her about his life and about the strategy against the Masters of Death. Every time that Harry had considered Ginny to be working for the Masters of Death, she had proved herself. It was now clear that these were orchestrated events, allowing her to prove herself to Harry.

"Why?" Harry cried out. "Why would you do this?"

"A couple of reasons." Ginny admitted. "You abandoned me, Harry. Even if you didn't love me anymore, you left me to die in that cell in Azkaban. If Hermione hadn't given me something to do, I probably would have killed myself."

"You killed someone in cold blood." Harry protested.

"How do you explain the fifteen people you murdered in the Great Hall? What's the difference, Harry? WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE?"

Ginny's face was inches away from his, a dark and twisted version of the woman he had once loved.

"I lied to you." she said, her voice suddenly quiet. "My cover didn't last eleven months. Hell, it didn't even last eleven days. Within four days, Wise figured out who I was and had me captured. They tortured me for days, non-stop. When one group was done, they brought in another and continued. The whole time, Wise and Grindelwald stood over me and whispered sweet lies in my ears."

"They weren't lies!" Wise roared.

"You will be quiet." Ginny said, her voice even but clearly threatening as she didn't so much as look at Wise. "Anyway, over time, I realized that the only way to survive would be to give them what they wanted: my loyalty."

"Ginny….."

"So I did. For months, I spied on Hermione for them, feeding them anything I could get my hands on. But then something happened. As I gave them more information, they trusted me more and more. Eventually, they treated me like one of their own while Hermione still treated me like a tool, something to be bashed against a wall or to cut into something. I was an instrument of war to her."

"That's not true." Harry begged.

"You don't know that side of Hermione." Ginny said calmly. "She's ruthless when she wants to be. Completely capable of shutting her conscience off and doing the job required. It's interesting. Threaten to kill a house elf and she'll lose her mind but threaten to kill a village in Indonesia and as long as you don't give her the exact details, she'll never mutter a sound in protest."

"But in the end, it wasn't even that. Consider this, Harry: If Grindelwald had beaten Dumbledore in 1945, Lord Voldemort doesn't exist."

"How?"

"Why would the blood of a magical person matter if we were all free to live public lives?" Ginny reasoned maniacally. "If Grindelwald wins, the very thing that Voldemort used to drive himself to power is suddenly unimportant. Some people have magic, some don't and we live together."

"That's not what the Masters of Death want."

"How would you know?" Ginny growled. "I've been with you for a month and you never once sought to look at things from our side. You assumed you were right and went on accordingly. But guess what, Harry? You were wrong for once."

"You've lost it." Harry muttered. "They tortured you and you lost it."

"Think what you will but I'm just as sane as I ever was."

With that, Ginny stood and walked away. Moments later, she was replaced by Wise who had the most vile smile Harry had ever seen plastered on his face.

"Without her, we're nowhere. The entire success of our mission in England relied on the information she was able to get out of you, Harry." Wise taunted. "We sold the ruse in Godric's Hollow using Polyjuice on someone to give you the impression that she was being held against her will. Once we had that, you gave her everything. Despite the fact that you knew that she had been working for us, you never once considered that she was the one feeding us information."

"That's not true." Harry replied defiantly, looking beyond Wise to Ginny. "I suspected her from the beginning. She just seemed to make things better every time."

"That was my doing." Wise cackled.

"Let him be, Christopher." Ginny ordered. Almost instantly, Wise was on his feet and behind Ginny. With all of the curtains stripped away, it was obvious that Ginny was now in charge of the Masters of Death, given the power by Grindelwald himself and legitimized because of it.

"You were given a choice, Harry. Now is the time to make it." Ginny said as she stood behind the four prisoners. "Who dies?"

Harry stood. "I won't kill them."

"Then you'll die." Wise replied sharply.

"So be it." Harry replied defiantly. "I'm not an executioner."

The words were a reply to Wise but were clearly intended for Ginny. Her reaction at the words, a reminder of what he had previously thought of her, was instant. She raised her wand and put it at the back of Gemma's head. Gemma's mouth and hands were bound but she could still look up at Harry, who begged him silently to save her.

Now that Ginny was no longer acting for him, he was terrified by what he saw. Some part of the nerves that Harry had seen in Ginny remained but they were different now. Instead of appearing frightened and paranoid, she seemed to be in a constant state of rage, seconds away from flipping out and murdering everyone in sight.

"Did she betray you or what she forced into helping us?"

"I don't know." Harry admitted.

"Wrong choice." Ginny said with a darkened smile. " _Avada Kedavra!"_

Instantly, Gemma's eyes went dark and she collapsed to the ground. Harry's mouth opened in shock as Gemma's head cracked against the ground. Even when Harry had suspected Ginny, he had never considered something like this. Ginny had always valued life especially in the wake of Dumbledore and Fred's deaths. But now, she seemed frighteningly detached from that, willingly killing someone without thought or remorse.

Next, Ginny stepped to Tiberius Ogden.

"Traitor or believer, Harry?" she said menacingly. Even Wise looked uncomfortable with how unhinged Ginny had suddenly become as her eyes became wild and her smile terrifying.

"I don't know! Ginny, please don't do this!" Harry begged her.

"I'm not doing it. You are." Ginny said evenly. " _Avada Kedavra!"_

Again, Ogden collapsed to the ground. This time, Ginny dug her wand into Downey's neck, pressing down so hard that she drew blood.

"Choose!"

"She was tricked!" Harry said in a panic.

"Wrong answer!" Ginny cackled. " _Avada Kedavra!"_

The last person was The Minister of Magic, Samantha Lyman. Rather than get close to her, Ginny simply stood behind her with her wand outstretched.

"Your choice." she said, her eyes locked on Harry's.

Harry couldn't even respond. Instead, he stood in fear, knowing that he couldn't answer and accidentally condemn Lyman to a death she may not have deserved.

Ginny took that silence as an answer.

"Just so that you know, she was coerced." Ginny answered. " _Avada Kedavra!_

All four bodies slumped to the ground just as Harry collapsed to his knees. He had done nothing to stop her. He could have tried to attack her or tackle or her something. Instead, he had stood there and let her kill those people.

"Harry Potter, The Boy Who Lived." Wise muttered with maniacal glee as he leaned down to whisper in his ear."I thought you were a hero. You could have saved two people. Instead, you let four die. Gemma Fairley didn't lie to you by the way. She was the other one we forced into working for us."

"But Ogden and Downey?"

"Believers. Committed to the cause for years." Wise grinned. "I promised you that you would know everything, Potter. But now that you know everything, it is unfortunate that your time is now at an end."

"Miss Weasley, please relieve Mr. Potter of his life."

Stepping forward, Ginny stood in front of him, her wand ready at the side.

"Just make it quick, Gin." Harry said as he kept his chin high, retaining as much strength as possible in his death.

"I plan on it."

Ginny's wand came to press gently against Harry's forehead. Harry supposed that he should have felt nervous or afraid but he didn't. He had lived two lives that he shouldn't have had. He had been gifted with a life that he never should have known. For that, he was thankful. Now, he could only hope that his family would escape this hell in exchange for his death.

Ginny took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Then Harry felt the pressure lift off his head as Ginny turned.

" _Avada Kedavra!"_

Christopher Wise made a slightly surprised noise as the lights went out from his eyes. His body propped itself up for a moment before collapsing to the ground.

Harry looked up at Ginny in shock who stood with her arm stretched towards Wise's dead form for a moment. Then, something in her changed again. She lowered her wand and breathed a deep sigh of relief before turning to Harry, her old smile back on her face.

She looked like Ginny Weasley again.

"It's done."

"What's done?" Harry asked.

"My mission."

Harry was clearly confused. "What mission?"

"The last mission that Hermione had given me was to investigate and, if possible, bring down The Masters of Death. After a month of watching them, I determined the only way that I could bring them down would be by cutting off the head, Christopher Wise and his associates. Whether they were coerced or not, they all needed to be brought down simultaneously to ensure that there was no chance of the Masters of Death coming back.

"Wait a minute….so all of this? The last year? You being The Phantom? That was all part of the plan? To bring them down?"

"Yes." Ginny answered. "These five but specifically Ogden and Wise were in charge of worldwide coordination."

Harry couldn't believe what he was hearing. Everything had been a part of a plan that Ginny had concocted in order to bring down the Masters of Death.

"What about Kingsley? What about Gemma and Hannah and Samantha Lyman?"

"Acceptable losses."

"Acceptable losses!?" Harry shouted, standing for the first time and shoving Ginny. "Acceptable losses? You killed two different Ministers of Magic. You nearly killed me!"

"I never would have killed you, Harry. That would have defeated the point!"

"Ginny, you single handedly orchestrated a campaign that last months and resulted in dozens of deaths! You did this with no oversight and with no input from anyone else. What gives you that right?"

"The Ministry of Magic gives me that right." Ginny snapped. "Hermione's directive: do what I ask but never tell me how."

"So that gives you the right to kill indiscriminately without consideration for the consequences? So you ended The Masters of Death? Great!" Harry barked sarcastically. "In the process, you completely destabilized the entire country and its government! We're going to be on our third Minister of Magic in seven months! We're now missing the Head of the Wizengamot, The Minister of Magic, The Head of the Aurors and the Deputy Headmistress at Hogwarts, not to mention the Headmaster himself!"

"And all of those people will be replaced without the threat of the Masters of Death to come back and destroy things!" Ginny shouted. "I know that this wasn't easy on anyone. I also know that I'm not going to be forgiven easily. I've already decided that I won't be going back to England."

"Of course you won't!" Harry barked. "You're going to Azkaban."

Ginny scoffed. "I think not."

"Right now, I don't care what you think. You are going to return to London and you are going to explain all of this to the Ministry and then you are going to accept whatever sentence they give you."

"Not a chance." Ginny growled. "I've already spent time organizing The Masters of Death. Most of them deserve jail time but there are some who are good people. I'm taking them with me."

"Where do you think you're going?"

"I'm taking them with me and we're going to roam the world, doing the things to protect people that are too _sensitive_ for their Ministries to take care of."

"So you think _this_ was a success? You're going to try and replicate this other places?"

"This was more than a success, Harry. This is the start in a revolution of people taking power away from the governments that stifle them and make their own choices in their protection. In my life, all I've seen from the Ministry is that money makes decisions. No more. My group will help those who can't help themselves because the Ministry is too corrupt to do so."

He couldn't believe what he was hearing. Ginny was almost solely responsible for dozens of deaths and even more injuries and she thought this was a replicable success. The fact that it was as far from a success as Harry could imagine was one thing but the fact that she wanted to try it again simply terrified him.

"I can't let you do this again." Harry said, steeling himself for her reaction. As he said that, he remembered that he didn't have his wand on him. Wise had been the last person to have it. Thankfully, he had dropped the wand when he had died and it was sitting on the ground next to him.

"Your Army isn't here to stop me this time, Harry." Ginny said firmly. "You don't get to control me anymore. No one does."

"We're not controlling you. We're protecting innocent people from your machinations."

Ginny was clearly taken aback. "You think the world needs protection from me?"

"I think that you've lost sight of what's important. I think in your grief and sorrow, something deep inside you broke and you don't understand how your actions are perceived."

Ginny laughed darkly. "Why would I give a flying fuck how my actions are perceived? Who in the world has earned my respect enough to gauge my actions based on their opinions?"

"Your family, maybe?"

"My family? You mean the ones who let you lock me away in Azkaban."

"Me? If you remember, I was in the woods when you were tried and sentenced. I had nothing to do with it."

"You could have let me go!" Ginny growled. "You know that Malfoy deserved what he got! If he had been let go, he would have just gone back to doing what he had always done!"

"You don't know that." Harry replied evenly, stepping forward so that he was closer to his wand. As he did, he saw that the Elder Wand was also sticking out of Wise's pocket. Harry grabbed it and quickly returned it to its holster hidden inside his cloak. "And we don't have the right to summarily execute someone like that."

"Since when did you start trusting the Ministry to make these decisions?" Ginny countered.

"I trusted them when Kingsley and Hermione were in charge. I trusted them when people that I trusted were at the top. But you know who ruined that?" Harry growled, not even hiding that he was reaching over to grab his wand. As he picked it up and returned it to his robes, he snapped his head up and snarled back at Ginny.

"You did. With your plan that would allow The Masters of Death to quite literally take control of the Ministry of Magic, you've made it impossible for anyone to trust the Ministry again. Even if we get good people in there, the public will always be wary."

"Good!" Ginny roared. "The public should always be wary! They should always be afraid of the Ministry!"

This was new. Ginny had never been a fan of the Ministry but then again, neither had Harry. But she clearly blamed her initial imprisonment on The Ministry of Magic. That thought had burrowed deep into her mind and festered, turning into a dark and destructive hatred for seemingly all forms of organizational government. A witch of Ginny's quality with a desire to bring down governments who she believed to be oppressive was dangerous for everyone.

"I'm done arguing with you." Harry said dismissively. "I can't believe that you would think about doing this again. I won't let you."

"You won't let me? Weren't you just telling me how you shouldn't be summarily executing people?"

"I don't have to kill you to stop you." Harry growled. "But please don't make me do anything I would regret."

"That's your choice." Ginny said as she turned to walk away. For a moment, Harry did consider letting her leave. But he knew that he would come to regret it, likely sooner rather than later.

"He would be so disappointed." Harry whispered, just loud enough for Ginny to hear him. He knew that he was baiting her. He knew that it was cheap and low.

He also knew that it was necessary.

"Fred." Harry said honestly. "He would have hated what you've become."

Ginny didn't move for several seconds. Then, rather than attempting to curse him into oblivion, she stepped forward until she was only inches away from Harry's face.

"Never mention my brother in my presence again." Ginny said through gritted teeth. "It's your fault he's dead so of all people, you should remain silent in regards to my brother. Also, consider yourself lucky that I'm feeling forgiving. If I wasn't, I would just go and execute all of your friends."

"Our friends." Harry corrected her. "They're our friends."

"I don't have friends anymore." Ginny said coldly. "I don't have family. I only have those that are with me."

Ginny drew her wand and held it at her side.

"I'm going to let your friends go." Ginny said, her voice level but strained. "You will all leave this island and never return. You will make no attempt to find me and you will leave my order alone."

"You know that I can't do that."

"I won't ask again." Ginny threatened. "I will kill all of you if you force me."

"No one is forcing me. But you're the one choosing to fight against organized government."

"Only those that are corrupt."

"Like the corrupt government that sent you to Azkaban for committing a crime?" Harry scoffed.

"I committed a _**public service!**_ " Ginny bellowed. "Draco Malfoy should have been put to death for his crimes years ago. I just helped him along."

"So let me get this straight: you intend to go find governments that you don't agree with and then behead people and destabilize them with your people?"

"Among other goals, yes."

With a snap, Harry reached into his cloak and drew his wand. "Then I'm going to have to bring you in, Gin. I'll let the Ministry that you hate so much deal with you."

"Good luck." Ginny said as she reared back and fired a Stunner from her wand. Harry rolled underneath the spell and fired a Stunner in return that Ginny easily deflected.

For nearly a minute, the pair traded easy shots, clearly just trying to feel each other out. While Harry desperately wanted to bring Ginny in, he also didn't want to hurt her. Unfortunately, Ginny wasn't going to give him that choice.

" _Crucio!"_

Harry was only barely able to sidestep the red bolt of lighting as it flew by him. With that, Harry knew that he had to take the gloves off. This wasn't going to be a duel to bring someone in.

There was a strong chance that if Ginny won, Harry wasn't coming home at all.

So, Harry did what he does best: he turned the arena into his advantage. Already, the island was a massive thunderstorm with lightning striking repeatedly over the time that he had been outside. But as Harry stood about thirty feet from Ginny, he executed a very quick but complicated set of charms that would affect the atmospheric conditions within roughly one hundred meters from their location.

Simply put, it wouldn't override the weather but it would change it. Now, rather than it simply raining, a wintery mix was beginning to fall from the sky. As time passed, it moved from a icy rain to hail to a nearly blinding wave of white snow. This mixed with the already present storm to create a nearly impossible fighting arena of snow, rain and lightning.

Well, it would have been impossible if not for the fact that Harry had enchanted his glasses to make it possible for him to still see figures through any stormy conditions. This advantage meant that while Ginny was busy trying to work her way through the storm, Harry could see her much clearer.

And yet, as they fought through the storm, Harry continued to hold back, letting most of the storm do the damage for him. Still, Ginny's strength continued to show through. Repeatedly, she cast spells that allowed her to detect Harry's location, forcing Harry to move and attack again.

This movement eventually led Harry to being pushed back to the tower. Realizing that his own strategy of blinding Ginny by the storm hadn't worked, Harry instead retreated, racing back up the stairs of the tower. As Harry ran, he could hear the sounds of spells being fired behind him.

Clearly, Ginny was close behind.

For what felt like minutes, Harry ran until he reached the very top of the tower. True to Harry's suspicions, it was basically inside the low hanging clouds with a heavy fog hanging over the surface. As Harry reached the top, he turned to face Ginny who had just finished climbing.

"You know you can't win this." Ginny said firmly.

"Why?"

"Because you don't want to hurt me."

"Why is that a problem? You're a friend, Ginny. I loved you. Why is it a problem that I don't want to hurt you?"

"Because I don't share the same problems." Ginny replied as she threw a wave of fire at Harry that he barely blocked. "You aren't my friend. You want me back in a cell. So I have no shame in wanting to see you dead."

With that, Ginny let out a string of spells that Harry could barely identify let alone block. Thankfully, there was nothing in there that would have instantly killed him because if there had been, he would have stood no chance.

However, the last spell, a simple Disarming Spell, hit Harry in the chest, causing him to drop his wand and throwing him back slightly. As Harry stood, he saw Ginny standing opposite him, two wands pointed at him.

"Stand down and I won't kill you."

"I can't do that." Harry said as he rolled towards her. As he did, he grabbed The Elder Wand from its hidden holster and fired another Disarming Spell that hit his own wand, causing it to return to Harry's hand. With another set of fluid movements, utilizing both wands, Harry let loose a flurry of spells, almost all of which hit Ginny causing her to cry out in pain.

Holding back had earned him nothing in this fight against Ginny. If she survived and was able to return to the world, she would likely release a wave of anarchy that could be worse than Grindelwald's original plan. More than likely, the Muggles would become aware of the magical world around them and at the same time, these magical communities would be fighting for their own survival.

It was that thought that motivated Harry to truly fight back against Ginny. Of all the fights that Harry had ever participated in, this was truly the least expected even with Ginny's behavior since The Battle of Hogwarts.

Harry and Ginny threw curses at each other with blinding speed, dodging when able, sometimes blocking before eventually foregoing defense altogether to throw as much offense into the mix as possible.

Finally, a Disarming Spell hit Ginny in the hand, causing her to drop her wand. As it fell to the ground, Harry raced to it, standing on it before Ginny could get her hand on it.

" _Incendo."_ Harry said as he ignited Ginny's wand, burning it so that there was no chance she could use it again. "It's done, Gin." Harry announced slowly, breathing deeply with exhaustion. "You're going to Azkaban."

"I'm not going anywhere!" Ginny spat.

"Listen, give me all the intel you have on the Masters of Death and you may get out of having the Wizengamot question whether or not they should reinstitute the death penalty."

"I won't give in to you, Harry." Ginny growled. "You may think you've won but my followers will find me and break me out of jail. Once they've done that, I will achieve my goals, the first of which will be killing you."

"Ginny, you know that this isn't what I want."

"If it's not what you want, then let me go."

"I can't." Harry said, his voice breaking softly. "Please," Harry pleaded. "Don't make this any harder on either of us."

"I won't." Ginny said as she stood. Looking down, Harry noticed the knife in her hand just moments before she lunged for him. With a quick wave of his wand, Harry countered her momentum, causing her to stop in place.

At least that's what Harry thought was going to happen until she carried her momentum just a little too far in the opposite direction. When that happened, she tripped and fell.

Harry got one final look at the rage and anger in Ginny's face before she slipped backward and rolled off the edge of the tower.

"NO!" Harry screamed as he dove forward, trying to catch her before she could fall too far. Harry was able to get close enough to just touch the skin of her wrist before she slipped too far away from him.

With the height of the tower, it was not a quick fall. For several seconds, Harry watched as Ginny tumbled, flipping several times. Finally, she hit the ground, sending a crack that you could have mistaken for thunder echoing over the silent island.

It took nearly ten minutes for Harry to move. All he did was lay on the edge of the tower and consider the ways in which he had failed.

Ginny was dead.

Kingsley was dead.

Hannah, dead.

Gemma, Ogden, Kathryn and even the Minister of Magic, dead.

All because he had been too blind to consider that the true Master of Death had been standing next to him the whole time. Because he had been too weak to consider the fact that one of his closest friends who might have betrayed him for having done the right thing years earlier.

Once Harry finally stood, he drew his wand and fired his Patronus.

" _Expecto Patronum!"_

Normally, the stag exploded from the end of his wand with a fury. This time, it crawled out, almost crawling towards Harry.

"Find Charles Hope. Tell him that we found The Masters of Death. Tell him they're gone…..And tell him that the Minister of Magic is dead."

Nodding somberly, the stag sprinted off the side of the tower, disappearing into the horizon. Once Harry could no longer see the stag, he simply stared into the distance, considering what would come next.

He could see no way in which he wasn't blamed for this in some way, a fact that Harry couldn't argue. The Order of the Phoenix would have to be permanently disbanded. Harry had seen what Ginny intended to do with her own version of such an Order and could imagine the horrors that she would have committed had she succeeded. It would have been horribly hypocritical of him to argue against Ginny's Order while keeping his own.

Besides, even if he wanted to, there's no way that the Ministry would allow him.

Finally, the snow that Harry had conjured earlier stopped falling, replaced entirely by the rain that had preceded it. Eventually, Harry descended the stairs of the tower and found Ginny's body at the bottom. It was hideous sight, blood and bone splattered on the concrete below.

For a moment, Harry considered burning the body and lying to the Weasleys, telling them that Ginny had died fighting The Phantom. But the next moment, he knew how much it would destroy The Weasleys if they ever discovered he was lying. In addition, part of the reason that Harry believed that Ginny had turned as starkly as she had was because of a lack of communication. He would only be perpetuating the cycle of grief and anger if he lied about why Ginny died.

That would have to become Ginny Weasley's legacy: a warning to all those who bottled up their emotions and refused to come forward and speak about them. It would be a cautionary tale. It was far worse than Ginny would have deserved but Ginny's actions had made it impossible for anything better.


	25. Chapter 25

Three days later, Harry stood in the new Atrium at the Ministry of Magic, ready to listen to Hermione speak. With the death of Samantha Lyman, Hermione had been instated as the Minister of Magic moments after their return from the island. It was an unceremonious way for the first Muggleborn Minister of Magic to be sworn in but it was necessary.

Something about that probably appealed to Hermione now that he thought about it more. In either case, per tradition, The Ministry of Magic had been closed yesterday, observing the single day of mourning traditional for a deceased Minister of Magic.

But at 8 AM the following morning, business had returned to normal. That meant facing the press and as the new Minister of Magic, Hermione had been adamant that she would personally answer all of the questions about Lyman's death and the actions taken by the Masters of Death. So, after one full day of work, Hermione started her second day as Minister of Magic by facing the press.

Harry chose to stand in the back. Hermione had invited him to stand with her on stage but he knew that the story would become Harry's relationship with Hermione. Even without his physical presence that might be the case and Harry wanted to do his very best to ensure that Hermione's tenure as Minister of Magic was squarely focused on the things that she wished to do.

As Hermione approached the podium at the front of the room, cameras snapped thousands of pictures, nearly blinding her. For a few moments, Hermione stood and waited before realizing that at no point were the cameramen going to stop. Realizing that she was going to have to press on, Hermione did just that.

"Two days ago, the leadership of the Masters of Death was killed by Ginny Weasley under orders from the Ministry of Magic after nearly a year undercover among their ranks."

Instantly, questions were launched at Hermione from every corner of the room. Rather than try and answer all of them, she simply pressed on.

"The Masters of Death was being led by former Ministry officials Christopher Wise, Tiberius Ogden and Kathryn Downey. Gemma Fairley and former Minister of Magic were accomplices to their actions under the threat of violence to their friends and family. Ginny Weasley had been operating as a secret operative of the Ministry since her orchestrated escape from Azkaban over four years ago. Unfortunately, despite the success of her actions against The Masters of Death, Ms. Weasley's mental health had deteriorated to such a point that she decided to reformat The Masters of Death to suit her own desires. Due to this, Hogwarts Headmaster Harry Potter attempted to bring her into the Ministry of Magic for her actions. When this happened, Ms. Weasley fought back against Headmaster Potter, who accidentally killed her in self defense."

It was the official story and objectively the truth. Still, Harry felt that there was some sort of lie buried deep within it. Harry had been more than willing to do damage to Ginny, probably even kill her. The fact that it had happened accidentally was circumstantial at best.

Although there was a chance that was simply the guilt that Harry felt for Ginny's death talking.

"Speaking of Headmaster Potter, The Wizengamot has decided to rescind the charges against the Headmaster, allowing him to return to his post at Hogwarts." Hermione said with a smile. They both knew that they were fooling no one with Hermione referring to Harry by his title. It would look like insider politics either way if Hermione had simply pardoned Harry. Thankfully, the return of Harry Potter had been one of the first topics The Wizengamot wished to address with the new Minister after it was discovered that Harry had once again saved them all from The Masters of Death.

"As we speak, Aurors are executing secret missions up and down the country, bringing in members of the Masters of Death. After the destruction of the Masters' leadership, documentation and strategic plans were discovered by Headmaster Potter which led to the identification of nearly one hundred hidden members of The Masters of Death. While this in no way will eliminate the Masters of Death, the loss of so many members in addition to their leadership will severely cripple their ability to impact Europe for quite some time. With that weakness, we hope to coordinate with other European Ministries to ensure that they are put away for good."

"Finally, with the death of Samantha Lyman and my appointment to her post, we are now on our third Minister of Magic in less than eight months. Both myself and The Wizengamot are committed to ensure that the democracy that we have fought so hard to earn will be kept alive. Therefore, elections will be held in one month's time to ensure that we do not have a Minister of Magic who the people do not wish to serve. In the meantime, I will do my best to protect the people of Magical England and work diligently to continue the progress that the Ministry had made before The Masters of Death began their manipulation."

Percy stepped forward and whispered something in Hermione's ear before turning to the press.

"The Minister will only take a few questions before we are needed to return to the Executive Offices for a series of meetings regarding the upcoming elections. You first?" Percy said, pointing to an elderly witch in the front row.

"With the resignation of Charles Hope, have you appointed a new Senior Undersecretary?"

"I have. Percy Weasley has agreed to take up the position for the next month. If I retain my current position, then Percy has asked that I find a replacement so that he can spend time with his exceedingly pregnant wife." Hermione joked. "In that case, I have convinced Cho Chang to join my staff as Senior Undersecretary."

That had been a lot of work. Firstly, Cho was still in St. Mungo's after the raid on Gemma Fairley's home. Secondly, Cho had apparently still be harboring some rough feelings about Hermione's supposed sabotage of her and Harry's romance fifth year. It was nothing that a simple conversation between adults hadn't been able to fix but Harry had been worried that Cho might have turned her down. As it was, Cho agreed to the position long term and gave Hermione a very experienced Ministry official to support her. It also gave Hermione a stark advantage in the upcoming election by having a publicly stated staff prior to the election, something no one else would have.

"What about Ronald Weasley's position?"

"I will not have a Junior Undersecretary until after the election." Hermione said as Harry inwardly cringed. "If I return after the election...Harry Potter has agreed to fill the vacancy."

Instantly, the room was abuzz with murmured voices. It had been nearly one hundred years since the sitting Headmaster of Hogwarts had left the school for anything other than retirement. Of course, Harry being the youngest Headmaster in the school's history meant that it was unlikely he would continue that trend. However, Harry had also lasted less than a year at the position, which was probably the more scandalous of the two sides to the surprise appointment.

"Harry has decided that he will continue at his position at Hogwarts through the end of the school year. At which point, he will pass the position to Neville Longbottom, current professor Herbology and Head of Gryffindor House. Transition planning between the two has officially begun already."

"Will the Headmaster be leaving regardless of the election's outcome?" came a voice from the crowd.

"Yes." Harry said from the back of the room as he approached the stage.

It was not something that Harry had done lightly. However, in the days after Ginny's death, Harry realized that she had been right about something. His trust of the Ministry was devoted solely to the people in it, not to the institution itself. It was also related to something that Arthur had said at the beginning of the school year as well. While Harry never believed that he was deserting the country by teaching at Hogwarts, he did realize that with the fame and influence he wielded, he was probably best served as a mover and shaker at the Ministry, using his influence to better the entire country and not just its education. It would allow Harry to cast a net over the whole country and hopefully create a better world for it.

It was exactly what Grindelwald had warned him of, only Harry didn't view it as a bad thing. He never wanted to control everything. Harry doubted that he would ever run for Minister of Magic and he certainly didn't want to be in the Wizengamot. But, with his new position, he could work for those that he trusted while not being tied to any one particular subject, letting those around him influence him and then using his own judgement to determine the counsel that he would give to Hermione or whoever the next Minister of Magic was.

"Sorry." Harry said as he reached Hermione.

"No need to apologize." Hermione replied. "Although this is why I wanted you up here."

"You were right once again." Harry said before kissing Hermione on the cheek and then turning to the crowd.

"Yes, I will be leaving at the end of the school year regardless of the results of the election. I have supreme faith in the abilities of Neville and Luna and feel that the school will be in better hands. Meanwhile, I will be returning to work for the Ministry in whatever capacity it will have me. My sincere hope is that The Minister wins her reelection and I'm allowed to serve as Junior Undersecretary. If that is not the case, then I will offer my services to the next Minister and I hope that whoever that is will use my abilities to their fullest."

* * *

A week later, Harry and Hermione were invited to Ron's house for dinner. Harry had been hesitant to go for one simple reason: he didn't know how any of the Weasley family felt about him. He wouldn't blame them if they hated him. With Fred and Ginny both dead either indirectly or directly because of Harry, he would have absolutely been willing to accept that they would have hated him for the rest of his life.

Thankfully, they were better people than that. When Harry and Hermione arrived, the entire Weasley clan was already there and waiting. As Harry walked in, he couldn't help but notice the plaques again, honoring those that had died in The Battle of Hogwarts. They were a stark reminder on a day like today of what the battles that Harry had faced had cost the world.

Harry breathed deeply when George was the one to approach him, ready for the worst.

"We all saw your face when you told us what happened, Harry." he said with sobbed hitches. "I know the guilt that you feel, we all do. But we know you, Harry, and we believe you when you say that it's not what you wanted."

"Really?" Harry asked, not daring to hope that George wasn't ready to kill him on the spot.

"We'll always be heartbroken." Molly said from behind George. "But I think so will you."

"Of course." Harry assured them before admitting something that he never would have before. "I haven't slept since it happened. Every time I lay down, I see her face disappear over the ledge and every time, I do everything I can to bring her back."

"You can't bring her back, mate." Ron warned him. "Don't do what she did. She lost herself over Fred and none of us knew how to bring her back."

"I won't." Harry promised him. That's when Harry looked over Ron's shoulder and noticed that something was missing. "Where's her plaque?"

Ron turned around slowly and went to the spot where it had been, staring at it intensely for several seconds before he spoke. When he did, the tone was something that Harry had never heard from him before: somber and harsh at the same time as if he couldn't decide whether he was distraught or enraged.

To be honest, Harry couldn't decide either.

"I took it down." Ron admitted darkly. "This will be her legacy. Ours too, at least for a little while. She'll be the Weasley who lost it. She'll be the one who broke and decided that the only way to fix the world was to tear it down."

Harry understood all of Ron's word and the sentiment behind him. But that didn't mean that he thought Harry was right.

"I would leave it up." Harry countered. "The Ginny that came back wasn't the Ginny I remember at all. The Ginny that I remember was feisty. She believed in people and she believed in the good of the world. The person that came back to us didn't believe in any of that. She believed that the world was dark and full of only people that looked out for themselves."

"But look at what she did, Harry." Ron replied. "She may not have struck the blow but so many people are dead because of what she did."

"Those people died because they believed in what we were doing." Harry said. "Kingsley and Hannah died not because Ginny killed them but because they believed that the Masters of Death were wrong and they gave their lives to ensure that they were taken down. For that, they did not die in vain."

Having said that, Harry turned back to the room. "I figured you should be the first that I will tell. I've sold Grimmauld Place."

"What?" Bill said in shock. "What for?"

"Firstly, I don't live there anymore. Second, I feel partially responsible for Ginny's plan. Between myself and Dumbledore, we never gave her a good example of someone that truly trusted in the Ministry. Rather than stepping up and attempting to affect change from inside the Ministry, we rebelled, fighting against it. That's what Ginny wanted to do: rebel on a worldwide scale."

"So never again can something like The Order of the Phoenix or Dumbledore's Army exist. You can still admit your membership in either group and wear them as a badge of honor. But if you want to fight against the forces of darkness, then step up and fight them as part of the Ministry rather than fighting in the shadows. If we do that, we may inspire more people than just our closest friends to fight back. If we do that, people that we don't even know may be moved by our choices and join the Aurors or the Hit Wizards."

"Grimmauld Place stood, to me, as a symbol of the Order. With its location made public, we'll step out from the shadows and we'll take on any new threats in the light."

"Who did you sell it to?" Arthur asked.

"I sold it to a Muggle who promised to tear the thing down." Harry chuckled. "I think he's putting a shopping center there."

"Sirius would have loved that." George laughed. "Grimmauld Place sold to a Muggle!"

"I thought there was a certain irony to that as well." Harry grinned.

* * *

Godric's Hollow was still in shambles when Harry visited for the first time since The Masters of Death had razed the city. Despite the fact that it was an almost entirely magic village, there were still whole sections of the town that had been abandoned. While it was likely that those homes were owned by the few Muggles that had lived in town, it still made for a stark image as Harry walked through the town.

The house where Voldemort had killed Harry's parents was gone, burned to the ground. The statue in the center of town that had memorialized his parents was also gone, clearly shattered by a curse of some kind. The church was a shell of its former self, its steeple laying on the ground next to it.

But amidst all of the destruction, the graveyard remained relatively untouched. Whether it was Ginny's instruction or not, the graves of Dumbledore's family as well as Harry's remained unmarked. Somberly, Harry stopped at the base of his parents' grave and waited for the words to come.

"I know it's been awhile since I've come to see you." Harry whispered even though he was certain that no one could overhear him. "Things have been busy."

Harry chuckled at the non-joke.

"Busy is a stupid word to use." Harry commented. "I did something. It was an accident but it wasn't? She...Ginny. I've told you guys about her before. She went down a path that I couldn't follow. I wanted to. I wanted to let her go. Everything inside me told me to let her go but I just couldn't. She was going to a place that would threaten everything and everyone."

"We fought. We fought and I killed her. I don't think that I meant to. Or maybe I did? I'm not really sure. I know that I would have. After our initial attack at Hogwarts, I know that I'm capable of it. I know that if it had really come down to it and it had been a choice between her or me: I would have made it. But I don't think I intended to kill her. I had already destroyed her wand. But she came after me with a knife and I knocked her backwards. I didn't mean for her to trip off the edge. At least, I don't think that I did."

The winter air whipped through the darkness and caused Harry to pull his cloak tighter around him, begging to keep him warm.

"Why wouldn't you have stopped, Ginny?" Harry said, clearly no longer talking to just his parents. "You lost a brother, I know. But you had a family that still loved you. They tried to help you through it even if they didn't know how. Why couldn't that have been enough? Even after you killed Malfoy, why couldn't that have been the end of it? You got your revenge, dammit!"

Harry kicked at the snow in front of him. For the past week, Harry had held everything in, not even letting Hermione see just how broken he was. But with no one around, he couldn't hold it in any longer.

"You got it! You got the revenge that you wanted! I never understood why you blamed Malfoy for Fred's death but you did and you killed him for it. Why wasn't that enough for you?"

"It wasn't enough because you never believed that there was anything wrong with it." Harry realized softly. "You thought that your justification meant that you could simply walk away from it. But it was never that simple because if it were, the world would just murder everyone who slighted them. Anarchy would reign supreme. Although, by the end, I suppose that's what you wanted: a world in which you didn't have to bother with the laws and simply destroy anything that wronged you."

Harry stood and waited for more tears to come. He waited for more words. But neither ended up forming. He knew that his response was only half-formed but he supposed that was because he only understood half of Ginny's rationale for her actions. He knew that she believed the Ministries of the world were corrupt but he never understood how she could think that simply taking matters into her own hands was an acceptable option for stopping that corruption.

The fact was that Harry would never understand that, something that would leave Ginny's death like an open wound, never completely able to heal.

"I'll do what I can to remake your legacy, Gin. I'll do what I can to use your actions as a launching point for something better. But in the end, the world will remember you as a villain and there's only so much I can do about that. Even Harry Potter isn't all-powerful."

* * *

Harry made only the rarest of appearance at Hogwarts these days. With Neville and Luna already installed as the new Headmaster and Assistant Headmaster for the upcoming school year, Harry was less and less necessary. While he was technically still the Headmaster through June (or until Hermione became Minister of Magic and then he would further split his time between Hogwarts and the Ministry), there wasn't much day to day need for his presence. It was still required that his signature be on most of the paper, however, and so Harry typically spent one day a week sharing the Headmaster's Office with Neville so that he could get some of that pile of paperwork done.

He also used these sessions to work with Neville, training him on the things that he had learned over his six months as Headmaster, along with his four year tenure as Assistant Headmaster. It certainly wasn't a perfect or complete training but it was what Harry had. Minerva was attempting to help but her health was continuing to deteriorate from what it had been at the beginning of the school year to the point where she frequently spent entire days in a wheelchair. As a result, Harry had granted each student a one year exemption from the study of History of Magic until a new instructor could be found.

Harry was alone in his office when the gargoyle that was the entrance moved aside, allowing someone entrance. As the person emerged from the hallway, Harry was glad to see that it was James Cresswell.

"How are you, James?" Harry said with a smile. "Please, sit."

"I'm doing fine, Headmaster." James said nervously as he sat.

"Harry is fine." he said. "If everything goes well, I'm only going to be your Headmaster for another week."

"We'll miss you." James admitted bashfully. "Never thought I would say that to a professor."

"Hogwarts will always be my home." Harry admitted wistfully, looking around the room. "Despite the fact that I know that I will be going to do good work, I honestly can't believe I'm leaving."

"You could always stay."

"I could but I won't." Harry admitted. "I have other things to do. That's what I wanted to speak to you about."

"Excuse me?"

"It is one of the greatest regrets that I was unable to finish instructing our Auror prep course this year." Harry said honestly. "However, during the time that we had together, I saw great potential in you. Such a great potential, in fact, that I contacted some of my friends at the Auror Academy and put in a good word for you."

James was stunned. "Thank you." he muttered.

"I am certain that they will accept you and likely with a scholarship of some sort." Harry grinned. "However, I would ask that you consider another employment offer."

"Whose?"

"Mine."

"Yours?" James asked in confusion. "Why would you want to hire me?"

"Because I saw in that classroom something that cannot be taught. You are brilliant, James. There is no doubt of that. You pick up concepts with ease and your traditional classwork suggests a raw intelligence that could be compared with some of the brightest minds this school has ever seen."

"Thank you, sir. I don't know what this has to do with a job."

"You would most definitely be a great Auror." Harry continued, only barely acknowledging the boy's response. "However, I would like you to come work for me."

"Doing what?"

"Assuming the Minister of Magic is re-elected, I will become the new Junior Undersecretary." Harry said before leaning over his desk. "Between you and me, I have spoken with many people who know about these kind of things. They assure me that her chances of winning again are very good."

"That's good."

"It is." Harry said happily, leaning back in his chair. "As Junior Undersecretary, I will be in charge of the political organization of the Minister's Office. Effectively, I will be her ambassador to the Wizengamot. I know that goblin rights reform is on her agenda. I also know that she wants to continue to honor those who died during the Second Wizarding War."

James understandably perked up at that. His father, Dirk, had died at the hands of Snatchers at the end of the war, just a few weeks before The Battle of Hogwarts.

"Did you know that I met your father in passing once?"

"Really?"

"Yes." Harry revealed. "He would have never known it. It was during my time on the run. We were hiding in the woods and your father along with some other runaways set up camp near our tent. We were warded so they never knew that we were there."

"What was he like?"

"Well, he wasn't my biggest fan." Harry grimaced. "Seemed to think that I was running away from the fight."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be. He wasn't entirely wrong. We ran because we didn't know what we were doing." Harry admitted. "We didn't have the skills or the resources to bring Voldemort down. Only the desire to do good things in a world that seemed to resist us at every turn."

Harry stood and made his way around his desk so that he could sit next to James and speak to him like an equal.

"You were named after my father." Harry said softly. "I talked to your mother about it once. Born on Halloween and so they were going to name you after one of my parents."

"I don't think Lily would have worked for me quite so well."

"Don't be so sure. Lily is a powerful name." Harry chuckled. "In either case, I would like to think that your father would think better of me now. There's a big difference between me then and now. Now, I have the skills and the resources. But I still care. I still want to do great things and I want your help."

"But you're you...How could you need my help?"

"You are a brilliant young man. You're a half-blooded wizard who I know still has family that lives in the Muggle world. You are ideally placed to help me make the wizarding world better for magicals and Muggles. In turn, you'll get a seat at the table, a place where you'll actually make a difference. You won't be pushing paper for the Aurors and you won't be assigned to every random house call with the Hit Wizards. You'll get on the job training in the most high stakes office in the country. In the end, it will likely get you a seat on the Wizengamot or even the Minister position itself."

"But you could have anyone." James protested. "You could convince Percy Weasley to be your assistant. He has ten times the experience I have and is a known entity in the Ministry. Why me?"

"That insight right there is telling. You are seventeen years old and you are aware enough to know that Percy would be a better choice. The fact that you could name Percy specifically is important. Many people can name the Minister of Magic. Few can name her right hand man." Harry replied before leaning towards James. "Don't worry. I'm not going to put you in a room by yourself right away. You'll start at the bottom of my staff. You'll take notes and you'll sit in on meetings. But you will always be expected to give your opinion, even when it differs from mine. Eventually, you'll be groomed to be my proxy, someone that I can trust to speak for me, even to the Minister."

James looked terrified at the thought of the job. But as Harry gave him time, he could also see a curiosity coming forward, an interest that James himself probably didn't understand yet. That single spark proved everything that Harry had said to be true.

It also meant that Harry had him, whether James knew it or not.

"What if I fail?" James asked, clearly frightened by the opportunity in front of him.

Harry smiled and leaned forward, placing a steadying hand on James' shoulder.

"Then you'll be just like me."

* * *

Almost ten months to the day since the last party thrown at Ronald Weasley's home, Harry and Hermione found themselves at Ron's house for two purposes. Firstly, it was election day for the new Minister of Magic. For the last month, Hermione had worked with the Wizengamot to ensure that a new form of election would take place. With a rather high amount of new blood in the Wizengamot, Hermione had been able to influence them into an almost entire restructure of the Ministry's election procedures.

No longer would the Minister of Magic be selected directly by the people. Instead, they would borrow the election procedures of the Muggle Parliament and allow the people to vote for the entirety of the Wizengamot. All 27 seats would be available this year due to the slow rollout of the original Wizengamot election plan enacted three years earlier. However, once the Wizengamot was selected, then the election for the Minister of Magic would begin. Now, it was a requirement that the Minister of Magic be an elected member of the Wizengamot and the Wizengamot would select their own leadership. Among this would be the Minister of Magic and the Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, two separate positions.

The day before, Hermione had discovered that she had received the most votes for the Wizengamot with almost 99% of available ballots having her name on the tally sheet. From there, with the 27 seats selected, the names of those wishing to be considered had be sent forward the previous night. Originally, there had been eleven names brought forward. However, after several rounds of voting, three remained: Hermione Granger, Roger Davies and Anthony Goldstein. Goldstein was considered to be a political ally of Hermione's and was someone that Harry would gladly work for if he happened to win over Hermione.

But Davies was a staunch supporter of a more traditional line of thinking with new Wizengamot members Astoria Greengrass and Theodore Nott lining up their support of Davies. While Davies was not a believer in the Pureblood methodology, he certainly was a more traditional candidate than either Anthony or Hermione.

The results of the election were due any minute.

The second reason that they had been invited was more personal. After almost a year of engagement, Ron and Angelina had grown tired of waiting. So, with a small group of friends and family surrounding them, they had gotten married at their own home with the Minister of Magic officiating their wedding, a first in recorded history.

Harry was happy for Ron. For the first year after The Battle of Hogwarts, it seemed that nothing could go right for Ron, including his relationships with Harry and Hermione. But once things began to settle down and the world allowed Ron some breathing room, he found someone in Angelina who had been a peripheral part of his past, someone who understood what he had been through without having participated in it, and yet she was still an essential part of his future: a perfect match in Harry's mind.

It made Harry consider his future for a moment before Ron, just like the year prior, appeared at the top of the stairs.

"I have the results of the vote." Ron said with a grim look. "With three votes, Anthony Goldstein."

Harry breathed a small sigh of relief. His worst fear had been that Hermione would finish last, an indictment on her relationship with Harry and how people had felt about her brief tenure as Minister of Magic. It would mean the end of her aspirations at the Ministry.

"In second place with eight votes, Roger Davies." Ron said with a grin before completing the line. "That gives Hermione Granger, our newest _elected_ Minister of Magic, sixteen votes and a clear majority."

Instantly, the room exploded with fireworks and the sound of voices shouting in celebration. The people surrounding Hermione flooded her with hugs and Harry nearly had to pull Hermione out of a pile to save her.

It would have been bad form to smother the newly elected Minister of Magic moments after she found out the results.

Harry took Hermione's hand and dragged her up the stairs, stopping just moments short of where Ron stood. Ron embraced Hermione tightly and whispered something in her ear that he couldn't hear. It must have been something untoward because Hermione slapped him playfully on the shoulder while she burst into laughter.

Finally, as the room quieted down, Hermione stepped to the microphone.

"I'll keep this brief." she said through joyful tears. "Being the first Muggleborn Minister of Magic was great. Being the first one elected feels even better. Thank you to all of you who helped me to this point and I promise that we're going to press forward and continue to make England a better place for all people regardless of their blood or birth!"

The crowd erupted with applause as Hermione stood and smiled, clearly embarrassed with the attention she was receiving but pleased nonetheless.

Suddenly, Ron stepped forward to the microphone.

"I believe my friend, Harry, has some words as well."

Hermione looked mildly surprised, knowing Harry's hatred of public speaking, as Harry stepped past her towards the microphone.

"I do." Harry said bashfully, feeling his skin turning red already. "First, let's give another round of applause to our new Minister of Magic!"

Again, the crowd exploded with cheers and hollers and even another round of fireworks. When the sound finally died down, Harry grabbed Hermione's hand and pulled him next to her at the microphone.

"For over fifteen years, I have known that Hermione Granger deserved to be the Minister of Magic. She cared so much for everyone, even those that never deserved it. She was, by all accounts, the most brilliant person any of us had ever met and was the kind of person who could be trusted by anyone. She worked too hard, slept too little and seemed perfectly appropriate for a life in politics."

That jab earned him a slight punch in the arm from Hermione who beamed at him.

"All the while, she put up with the fact that my life made hers substantially more dangerous than it ever deserved to be. Once I realized just how good a friend Hermione was, I made it my mission to ensure that nothing ever happened to her. Of course, I've failed a number of times. But even through all of that, she has never once abandoned me or let me down. In the darkest times of my life, Hermione Granger has been my light, guiding me through that darkness and into the light."

His hands shaking, Harry reached into his pocket and pulled out a ring that he had retrieve from his Gringotts vault about one month earlier. It had been his mother's but the gem on it was easily identified as the color of Hermione's hair, something that Harry couldn't feel was simply circumstance but fate playing a joke on him.

"But over the last few years, I've realized that she's more than friend. She is my great companion. She challenges me daily to be the best version of myself and even when I fail, she's proud of me for doing what I can. She trusts me implicitly and I return the favor as best as I can. In the end, I know that my life is better because of her and it would be nothing without her."

Finally, Harry turned to Hermione, who was crying softly, her warm eyes looking at Harry lovingly. Slowly, he got down on one knee, lifting the ring to her hand.

"Hermione Jean Granger, you give me a joy that powers a thousand Patronuses. Will you do me the great honor of sharing your life with me? Will you marry me?"

Hermione didn't hesitate for a moment. Instead, she leaned forward and planted the best kiss Harry had ever had on him. For several moments, the pair were alone in the world. When they broke apart, Hermione's forehead rested on his.

"I've never been so sure about something in my entire life as I am about you, Harry Potter."

Even with all of the darkness of the past few months, even with the death of Ginny Weasley weighing on his heart, Harry could honestly say that this moment was the happiest of his entire life. Surrounded by the family that he had always craved, the woman of his dreams agreed to make a new family with him.

Harry remembered Dumbledore saying something about finding light in the darkest of places. Well, Harry didn't need to find it anymore. He knew where his light was and he was never going to let her go.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is it for this particular series. I have some other works in progress at the moment that I am working on getting onto this site. You can find me under the same pen name on FanFiction.Net.


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